The Shadow Within
by WingsofRequiem
Summary: Sequel to "The Shadow that Watches." What would you do? How far would you go? How much are you willing to sacrifice? To save the one you love? How do you protect someone you love when you're the one holding the knife that will end her life? Rated M for Blood, Violence, Gore, Lemons, Torture and Character Death.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Wings here, and YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS.**

**That's right! This is the highly anticipated sequel of The Shadow that Watches! YAY. I finally decided to write it!**

**"But Wings Senpai, you said you wouldn't be writing it any time soon!" You say?**

**Well, if you're a regular reader of my stories, you know how much of a bitch my Muse is. I thought I would focus on my other stories for now, but my Muse was like "lolno fak u" and decided to drain me of motivation to writing anything except this. So I guess you guys should thank her xD Or not. **

**The Cover Art is done by none-other than moi! :D That's why it sucks xD lel pls forgive my lack of artistic skills, but give me 4 years and I'll be awesome at it.**

**Anyways, withotu further ado... I give you, The Shadow Within!**

**NOTE: I've noticed sometimes chapters show up in ALL BOLD when read on a Mobile device. I have no idea why this happens as it's perfect in the Doc version as well as in the Desktop Fanfiction, so that's not my fault.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**WARNING: This story has much, much more gorier and bloodier events than the last story. However, the gory and bloody elements are placed usually at the end of the chapter after a Line break. You do not have to read that part if you don't want to, but it will add more stuff to the Plot, so I would advise you to read it. I will try to tone it down to keep it from getting too gory when the parts are within the story.**

**Rated M for Gore, Blood, Torture, Violence, Sexual References, Swear Words, Smut and more.**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 1: **The Shadow lurks

_How long has it been? My days spent in the company of one I cherish. My dark moments no longer shrouded in the solitude of myself and my shadows. My lust for power, forgotten, replaced with the desire to make her happy. How long has it truly been since I've stopped being what people have made me out to be?_

_Too long._

_I must fix this. I must fix what is broken. I am broken. I must fix myself. I must go back to myself. I must reach and grab hold of the power that eludes me. I must. I will._

_I will kill the root of the problem._

…

"Zed… Zed?"

A small groan escaped his lips as Zed shifted in his bed. His eyes opened, the vivid red globes coming into view as the pupils narrowed, focusing on Akali as the light of morning dimly seeped in through the windows. She looked absolutely beautiful, with her hair down, pouring down one side of her neck in waves upon waves of dark brown. Her eyes, a dark red color yet lacking the intensity of his, looked down upon him softly. The light hitting her from the front caused most of her face to be brightened up, making her pale skin look almost like alabaster porcelain. As she saw him open his eyes, she smiled at him, filling him with a warmth that only she could give him.

"Good morning." She said softly as she leaned close and gave him a gentle peck on the lips, which he returned.

"Good morning Akali…"

"As much as I would love to continue to see you sleep… We need to get going. We have a small meeting due in a few hours." Akali said as a small smirk played upon Zed's lips. "Have the tables turned so much that you watch me sleep rather than the other way around?" He asked as Akali smiled again.

"You talk like you expected something else."

"With you… I like surprises." Zed replied as Akali gave a small chuckle. "I see you haven't lost your soft touch with words, Zed."

With that, Akali rose off of the bed, stretching as she stood up, allowing Zed to stare at her nice form from behind. She wore a loose, green top and a pair of black boxer shorts.

"Stop staring at my bum and get off yours." Akali chastised gently as she began pulling her long hair back into a pony tail. Zed sighed and pulled off the sheets, getting off the bed. Unlike Akali, he wore a black tank top. Below, he wore a pair of dark grey shorts that ended just above his knees.

"I'll be going now, meet me at the dining room, okay?" Akali said while she put on a loose, casual kimono to cover herself with. Zed nodded in response as he stepped into the bathroom, turning on the lights. He heard his door close as Akali left, leaving him alone. As soon as she was gone, however, it seemed as though the entire room darkened slightly. The temperature dropped as Zed suddenly felt slightly hollow. He brushed his teeth and went about everything as usual. After washing the sleep out of his eyes, he propped himself upon the sink, his hands gripping it's edge, and looked into his reflection in the mirror.

He had cut off his long black hair once it was getting too cumbersome, so now he had shorter hair, which reached down his neck while his bangs barely reached his eyes. It made him look much younger that before, though the scars on his face were still prevalent yet even they were a tad bit more faded than before. Yet, his eyes were the only thing that never changed. Those cold, bloody eyes that glew with malevolence, a sign of the forbidden powers he had taken upon himself.

_They were fighting… No, rather, they were sparring with each other. Both of them had the look of intense concentration upon them as their fists flew, their feet cutting through the air as well. Punches, kicks, chops, everything. They threw everything they knew at each other. Yet, the other always seemed to know. They were like twins._

_They looked similar, yet not similar enough to be brothers, which they strangely were. One had black hair while the other had a chocolate brown coloration to his. Finally, they both cried out as they both launched a powerful attack, one launching a reverse-spin kick while the other launched a powerful uppercut. Both hits collided, sending both combatants flying a few feet back from each other as they landed hard upon the grassy ground._

"_That's enough." A wise voice said as both of the combatants, though sore and aching from the fight, quickly hastened to get up onto one knee and bow respectfully. A man stepped up to them, old and wizened with a white beard upon his face._

"_Another draw, yet both of your abilities seem to be improving much, much better than any student I've ever had the honor of teaching. I'm proud of you. Shen. Zed." The man said as both of the children rose upto their feet, proud smiles on their faces. The master walked upto Shen and ruffled his hair. "Especially you, Shen. You are one who is worthy to one day be the Eye of Twilight." He said, as Shen made a small noise of happiness. "Thank you, father!"_

_Shen opened his eyes as his father-slash-master stepped away from him, glancing at Zed. His smile faltered once he saw his brother looking down at the ground with a strange type of bitterness._

"_You two may rest." The man said as both of them bowed to him once again before straightening up. Zed began walking away as Shen ran upto him. "Hey Zed, wait up!" He said as Zed stopped, looking back at his brother. Zed's dark red eyes focused upon Shen's dark blue ones as he curtly said, "What?"_

"_What's wrong?" Shen asked as Zed's eyes narrowed. "Nothing's wrong." He spat bitterly as Shen winced at the harshness of his brother's words. He stood there and watched Zed walk away, confused as to why Zed was acting like this._

Zed blinked and shook his head, pulling himself out of the memories as he breathed deeply out through his nose, wondering why he was remembering things from so long ago. A small amount of remorse bled from the center of his being as he stared down at the sink, watching the water drops dripping from his face.

_**Drip. Drip. Drip.**_

Zed's fingers clutched the sink tightly as he closed his eyes even tighter, trying to get the images out of his head. With a dark, throaty growl, he pushed himself off of the sink, straightening up before walking away.

…

It was a chilly winter morning. Snow had just begun falling a few days ago and right now, the flakes of white slowly drifted down sparsely, making a beautiful scene infront of Akali. She stood in the corridor that was open on one side, which lead to the courtyard, staring at the snow falling from the sky in all it's serenity. It reminded her of her right, which she brought infront of her face as she held out her left hand, looking at the thin platinum ring upon her ring finger. Neither Zed nor Akali liked precious stones very much, so Zed opted for a simpler yet so much more unique ring. Platinum, it had an ornate design along it's length to give it that absolute elegant feel. It wasn't a marriage ring… Not really, but it was a sign of things. Of everything.

Footsteps made her turn around to see Zed walking up. He wore a black-and-red jacket which also had a hood, which was currently pulled back, allowing her to see Zed's face. Under the jacket, he wore his usual black one-piece, complete with the pull-on half-face mask that currently hid the lower half of his face. Other than that, she could see his predatory red eyes, that softened as they looked at her, as well as his dark, messy hair. "Ready to go?" He asked, looking her up and down. She wore a grey colored full-sleeve sweater over a dark pair of pants. She also had a carmine scarf wrapped around her neck which also concealed half of her face when she tucked her head in. Her long dark brown hair was, as always, tied behind her head in a long ponytail. She nodded her agreement as they continued to walk down the corridor.

"So… What was this meeting about again?" Zed asked as Akali shrugged. "Something about the upcoming changes to the game…. God, Irelia's not gonna be happy." Akali chuckled at her own words as Zed gave a small smile as well.

"How is Irelia, anyway?" Zed asked.

"I'm doing quite fine, thank you for caring, Zed." A female voice said as they turned Zed and Akali saw Irelia walk around the corner of the intersection infront of them, accompanied by none other than Master Yi. Irelia was wearing her official Captain-of-the-guard uniform, as she was required to do so, although the extra padding on it meant she was wearing some layers inside to ward off the cold. Master Yi, however, looked completely casual in a faded brown jacket over a green jacket, with dark blue pants. His long black hair, though not as long as Zed's hair had been, was pulled back into a small ponytail, except for a few short strands that hung over his forehead. His jaw was lightly lined with stubble and he wore green tinted round spectacles.

"Irelia!" Akali said happily as Irelia replied with a similar "Akali!" and then they both hugged each other as Yi and Zed stood next to each girl awkwardly.  
"Yo." Yi said casually at Zed, who had already pulled his hood over, shrouding his face as he nodded in reply.

"I've missed you so much!" Irelia said as she hugged Akali tightly.  
"Irelia, we saw each other just yesterday." Akali replied.  
"Yes, and I missed you so much since then!" Irelia said as she finally let Akali go, the two friends giggling a bit at the joke. "How're you doing Yi?" Akali asked as Yi grinned sheepishly. "Oh, you know… The usual." He said as Irelia turned her face towards Zed.

"Well well well, I never thought I'd hear grouchypuss here ask about me. Allow me to return the favour; How are you doing Zed?" Irelia asked.

"Fine." Zed replied flatly as Irelia had an expression of mock surprise on her face. "My my, you're actually warming up! Can I hug you now? Or maybe braid your long hair?"

Zed's response was to stare back at her flatly from the shadows of his hood, yet due to his glowing eyes, his stare was sinisterly visible.

"I guess that's a no." Irelia said as Akali laughed softly again. "Yeah, you better not if you don't want him to stab you, Irelia. And he cut his hair anyway."

"You did!?" Irelia said in surprise as Zed shrugged.  
"It was getting impractically long." He said simply.

"Irelia, do you know what the meeting is about?" Akali asked as Irelia's eyes darkened, while Yi's face also fell.  
"Yes… There's been… A murder."

Zed and Akali both froze mid step as they stared at Irelia with shock evident on their faces.  
"What!?" Akali said in a low, disbelieving voice. Irelia nodded grimly. "...Who?" Akali asked as Irelia ran her hand through her dark raven hair. "Who was the killer? Impossible to tell. He, or she, left no traces whatsoever. As for who was killled… Its Garen."

"Garen? The Might of Demacia?" Akali asked, shocked further. Garen was no easy man to kill.  
"Yeah, so you can see why the league is in turmoil. Demacia's flinging accusations at Noxus and Noxus is completely denying it." Irelia said as they resumed walking, albeit a bit faster than before. Zed stayed silent throughout the conversation, gears turning in his head as he tried to figure out who might have killed Garen.

_Blood splattered upon the wall as the gurgles escaped from him, drowning in his own blood._

"Zed? What's wrong?" Akali asked as Zed' eyes wide, looked up to see Akali was a good distance away, as well as the others. "Why did you suddenly stop walking?" Irelia asked, slight concern on her face. "I… Nothing… I just remembered something, that's all?" Zed said as Irelia turned around on him, her face becoming a mask. "Zed… Do you know anything about this murder, anything at all?" Irelia asked in a deathly quiet voice as a heavy silence fell over the group.  
"What are you implying, Irelia?" Zed asked without a trace of emotion in his voice, not faltering nor backing away.  
"No traces of the killer… Almost like a Shadow killed him. Does that ring a bell, Zed?" Irelia asked, slowly getting more aggressive as her blades raised up behind her. Zed noticed her aggression, but didn't move. "Irelia, what are you doing!?" Akali asked in a surprised way, shocked that her friend would jump to accuse Zed. "He was with me all night, for goodness sake!"

"He… I…" Irelia faltered, the aggression bleeding out of her as she relaxed, her blades falling back to float dormantly behind her. "I'm sorry Zed… Akali… I'm just… Tense." Irelia said, massaging her temples as Yi put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We should get going. It wouldn't look good to be late, especially not when I'm the Captain of the Guard."

…

It was absolute Chaos, to say the least. Every Champion was assembled in the tribunal hall, with a representative of every state standing in the middle while the rest of the champions sat around the hall in the stands. Akali sat next to Zed in the Ionian stands as she looked around the room, then focused upon the center. Upon the high seats, were none other than Kayle, the Judicator, and High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye. The representatives of each state were Jarvan the Fourth for Demacia, Swain for Noxus, Irelia for Ionia, Mordekaiser for The Shadow Isles, Caitlyn for Piltover, Viktor for Zaun, Tristana for Bandle City, Azir for Shurima and a strange, unknown man with purple hair and bright green eyes standing for the Void. The Unaffiliated was represented by Rammus.

"A demacian, dead. No trace whatsoever about the killer. Garen was one of the best warriors Demacia has ever seen!" Jarvan said loudly, anger in his voice as well as slight pride and sorrow for his friend. "He would not be defeated in combat so easily… Unless he was assassinated through cowardly means, which YOUR city is an expert of!" Jarvan shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Swain, who's bird, Beatrice, cawed loudly at Jarvan.

"You're just a simpering child who's whining because your best friend died, grasping at air for evidence you cannot provide. All of our assassins were accounted for and we have no interest in that Demacian Oaf, much less the intent to waste such resources to kill him. And I'd have to be an absolute fool to kill him within the Institute and you can call me many things, Prince Jarvan, but you cannot call me foolish." Swain said heatedly. "You are also forgetting atleast thirty percent of the champions here can kill without leaving a trace, maybe more."

"Yes, and most of them are from Noxus!" Jarvan shouted.

"No, they are not. Other that Talon and Katarina, we do not have assassins that can accomplish such a feat." Swain said.

"So, Grand General Swain, you are saying that an assassin killed the Might of Demacia, yet it was not yours?" High Councilor Vessaria Kolminye asked, her voice ringing through the room.

"That is correct, High Concilor." Swain said as Kolminye put her hand over her mouth, closing it into a fist as she thought. "I believe you." She finally said.

"What!? High Councillor, how can you believe the lies he spo-"

"Silence, Jarvan. Swain speaks the truth on two things. One, you are far too emotionally distraught to be thinking straight right now. And two, Swain is a brilliant tactician and general and he would not make such a foolish move right under the noses of the League." Kayle said in an unfathomable voice as Kolminye leaned forward. "You wish to say anything else, Swain?" Kolminye asked.

"Yes, High Councilor. As Jarvan stated, Garen was no weakling. An assassination must have took him out, and judging from his wounds, the killer used a blade. That narrows our list down." Swain said.  
"Sound words. Then let us bring forward all the assassins in this room, save for the Noxian and Demacian ones. Do any of you disagree?" Kolminye asked across the room at the representatives. The purple haired man raised his head a bit higher before he spoke, in a voice with a bad lisp, almost like he was hissing. "High Councilor… The Void will take exempt from this call out, because all of us are constantly under lock down, save for me, yet I am always under surveillance." The man said and it took Akali a moment to recognize his voice and pinpoint his identity as none other than Kha'zix, the Void Reaver.

"You have a point, Kha'zix. Very well, the Void are exempt." Kolminye said.  
"The Shadow Isles are also exempt, as like the Void, we are under constant surveillance." The king of Metal said as Kolminye nodded, jotting something down on her desk. "Very well. Anyone else wishes to exempt or speak out?"  
"Ok." Rammus said, to which Kolminye nodded.

No one else spoke up and therefore, Kolminye continued.

"Alright. Kayle, if you will please call out the list of suspects."

Kayle nodded, before raising a piece of paper up to read as she said loudly, "Akali, Diana, Irelia, Kassadin, Master Yi, Rengar, Shaco, Shen, Yasuo… And Zed." Kayle said Zed's name after a small delay, as Kolminye focused her gaze on the Shadow Master, who began following the others out into the center of the room. Everyone whose name had been called stood in a line in the middle as Kolminye looked through them.

"All of you are assassins with the ability to kill without leaving a trace and use a bladed weapon. Therefore, all of you are suspects until proven innocent. You are all given a chance to state an alibi for the murder that took place in the middle of the night yesterday. Akali, we shall begin with you." Kolminye stated. "Reports say you were not in your room." Kayle said as Akali narrowed her eyes.

"Its true, I was not in my room because I was in… Zed's room." Akali said, hesitating with the last few words as she flushed a bit. Her romantic relation with the Master of Shadows was known to almost everyone, so it wasn't really a revelation. Yet, stating the fact that she had spent the night with him was far more awkward.

"Interesting… What were you tw-" Kayle began but seeing the blush deepen on Akali's face, even as the kunoichi stared up at Kayle and tried to keep a straight face, told Kayle all she needed. "Oh. Zed, do you agree with her claim?" She asked.

"Yes. She slept with me. If you have any doubts, you can ask the champions who reside in the apartments next to mine; I'm sure they can tell you they heard her screams of ecstacy well into the night." Zed said as many champions, mainly the males and one Vi, snickered at his openness while almost an equal amount flushed furiously, not wishing to know so much. Kolminye cleared her throat, a stern expression on her face as she said, "Alright Zed, I believe you. You two may go back to your seats or exit the hall."

Akali wanted to do nothing more than disappear into the floor as her face was completely red, yet she managed to keep a straight, albeit forced, face. She could feel Shen staring flatly at her as she walked off, as well as many other champions.

Exitting the hall, she found Zed already outside. Anger replaced her embarrassment as she strode upto him. "What the hell was that about, Zed!?" Akali said angrily as Zed pulled his hood back, revealing his eyes and hair so as to look at her better. "What do you mean. I said what I was asked." He said flatly as Akali riled up further. "You didn't have to make our… interactions public!" She angrily said as Zed narrowed his eyes, pulling his facemask down now as well. "You act as if no one else knows that you and I are seeing each other." Zed said as Akali stuttered. "Well knowing it and telling all the grisly details are different, you damned… You… GAH!" Akali said angrily, before finally giving up and beginning to stride away. Before she did, however, she felt his iron hard grip on her arm before she was pulled into his chest, his hand finding it's way to her chin to push her face up. A moment later, he was kissing her deeply, passionately, with a fire behind it. Akali's resistance turned to water in the face of his fiery assault and she succumbed under his absolute force. Breaking the kiss, she found herself staring up at the glowing crimson eyes of Zed, feeling the small twinge of fear his eyes always instilled in her as she beheld the intensity with which he stared at her.

"I do not care, Akali. If I must, I will make love to you in a place where the whole world could see. I do not care. What I do care about is to make it clear to everyone… You are mine. And Mine alone, just as I am yours and yours alone. I also want to send a clear message to the killer that if he tries something against you, he will find my blade buried in his chest." Zed said heatedly, scaring Akali further with the amount of vehemence and intensity he was speaking with.

"Z-Zed… Are you…" Akali began, but Zed interrupted her by putting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes.

"I'm just worried about you Akali… That's all. I'm sorry if I… overreacted." Zed raised his face, his expression much softer than the dangerous look he had before. "I almost lost you once to Syndra… I don't want that to happen again, because I'm afraid I will lose you this time." Zed said as Akali gave him a sad smile, before stepping forward and hugging him, pressing the side of her face into his chest.

"I will be with you Zed, don't worry… You won't lose me. I will always be with you." She said gently and soothingly as Zed calmed down, gently reaching up around her before returning her embrace, pulling her in closer as he lowered his head towards her.

"Always." He whispered, closing his eyes as he tried to stop himself from thinking of the strange images of Garen, lying dead with his body cut open and blood pooling in his gaping mouth, which had come out of nowhere into the forefront of his mind...

...

_Don't kill me, Zed._

…

The day had passed without much incident and now, it was in the dead of night. Silence reigned through the institute as almost everyone slept. Everyone including Zed and Akali.

Zed opened his eyes with a start, red eyes staring wildly up at the ceiling as he instantly shot upright into a sitting position. He panted, cold sweat covering his body as he felt to his side. He felt her form under the covers, reassured that even if he could not see her in the darkness of the room, she was there. He had the worst dream… A nightmare. Something he hadn't experienced in many years. He could still hear the ghost of her voice, pleading with him not to kill her… It was nerve wracking, to say the least. His red eyes glowed dimly in the darkness as he looked around before finding the silhouette of his lamp on the bedside table. While he reached out for it, he realized how much he had sweat from the nightmare. His entire body felt wet and the bed also seemed a bit damp….

Not damp… It was wet.

He turned on the light and his heart stopped. The hand he had reached out with to turn on the lights was wet alright…. But with blood, not sweat. Coated crimson upto his elbow, as well as many flecks of blood, indicating that something had spurted up at him.

"No…" He whispered, afraid to turn around. But he did, slowly…

Akali was lying on her back beside him, the covers pulled down to her waist, a large kunai sticking out of her chest, blood coating the entire front of her tank top, a crimson smile also drawn upon her throat, blood slowly seeping out. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling, unseeing, maroon eyes unfocused. Tears still glistened on her cheeks, and her mouth was slightly open as her last breath had left her. Her skin had already turned nearly white, indicating that she had been dead for quite some time, most of the blood in her body now absorbed into the sheets of th bed, staining it crimson, as well as coating Zed's body. Her expression was frozen in the form of shock and betrayal.  
"NO, AKALI!" Zed shouted, his words catching in his throat as he curled his back involuntarily from the entire shock and weight of the things that had happened. His nightmare had been real. He had killed her. Akali was dead, by his hand. The woman he loved, had died because of him. He couldn't even speak, he felt like he was being crushed by her death, yet he was unable to tear his eyes away from her face. The plain emotion of betrayal, softened by death, was still there, accusing him.

"NO!" He screamed up at the ceiling.

And then, his red eyes opened as he woke up.

* * *

Garen woke up with a small grunt as he turned around in his bed, trying to get into a more comfortable position. Yet, he still felt uneasy. After a few more minutes of tossing and turning, he gave up and decided to sit up off his bed. He looked at his bedside end table, where a small hextech clock was propped up, displaying that it was 3 am in the morning.

Groaning, he got off his bed and walked out of his bed room, walking to the kitchen area of his apartment. He felt uneasy. Like he was being watched. Yet, as he reached the kitchen, he looked around, seeing nothing but shadows in the darkness of the night.

Downing a glass of water and wiping the his mouth with the back of his forearm, Garen began walking back to his room. When he opened the door, however, he saw a figure standing there. The figure was completely black and smoky, like a living shadow, his features impossible to tell. Yet, one thing was certain, as the figure raised it's unseen face up to him. Eyes the color of blood glowed out of the darkness at him. "What the hell!?" Garen said in shock and fear as he turned around, intending to run to the front door, where his sword was also propped up. However, as he turned around, he heard something whistling through the air. Garen screamed in pain as he felt something slice through the achilles tendons on both his feet, causing the bulky man to slam into the ground. Dazed from the fall and gasping from the pain in his feet, Garen barely registered that something grabbed his legs and began pulling him into the room. The hands felt icy cold even through his pants. As he was pulled into his room, Garen shoved himself around so he was on his back rather than his front, allowing him to focus on his assailant. Yet, there was no one there. Garen pivoted his head around, looking for the strange black attacker as he began crawling back. Suddenly, something dripped onto his stomach. Something red.

Blood.

Garen looked up with a cry of fear, expecting the killer to drop down at him, yet the only thing he saw was a black Shuriken stuck to the ceiling, dripping blood. Garen froze, watching the shuriken, which was precariously sticking out of the ceiling. He was about to push himself out from under it when something suddenly shot through his right hand, pinning him to the ground. Garen screamed in pain as he looked to see the black, shadowy figure crouching next to him, two long armblades sticking out of the figure's left arm and penetrating through Garen's right hand, pinning him to the floor. He recognized that armblade.

"Z- KHHHRKH" He couldn't say anything else because as soon as he opened his mouth, the shadow's figure shot forward, his fingers jotting into Garen's open mouth and grasping a hold of his tongue. Garen's eyes widened a second before he realized what the man was going to do. Before he could say anything to protest, the shadow placed it's foot on Garen's neck and then pressed down harshly at the same time he viciously pulled. Garen let out his worst scream yet as he felt his tongue being ripped out of his mouth, blood spurting out and pooling in his mouth. At the same time, the shuriken from above suddenly fell, embedding itself deep into Garen's abdomen, his heavily-built abs doing nothing to deter the cold edge of steel. Garen could feel his body going into shock as the pain slowly left him, replaced with numbness. The pressure on his throat had also broken his larynx, rendering him unable to properly cough, which caused the blood gushing from the wound in his mouth to pool inside. He made pathetic gurgling noises as he tried to breathe, drowning in his own blood as the shadowy figure slowly, and painfully, pulled his armblade out of Garen's hand. He stepped over the man to his side and slowly reached down to the Shuriken. Garen could do nothing but watch weakly as his vision faded while the dark figure slowly dragged the shuriken up Garen's torso, literally cutting him open as blood pooled out even more. And then, the man pulled the shuriken out, and raised it. A second later, Garen felt rather than heard the resounding sound of the Shuriken shattering through his exposed ribcage and into his heart. He stared down to see the Shuriken suddenly dissolve into nothing but shadow, along with the man who slowly dissolved from the bottom up. The last thing Garen ever saw before his vision faded along with his life was the glowing red eyes that gazed unblinkingly at him and watched him die. Eyes the color of blood.

* * *

**So yeah, that was the first chapter. Hopefully I did a better job of opening up this story than I did with my other one, because in all honesty, the opening few chapters of that story was absolute shit xD**

**Also, if you guys are wondering, YES, Syndra will get some showtime in this story. Don't worry, I'm not keeping the bitchqueen out. And you guys can be sure she's going to be even more of a bitch this time around.**

**Yes I hate Syndra. I hate her with a passion now mainly because most people I know ship her with Zed without even knowing her character/lore, just because they read that manga. Holy shit, I get it, that manga was cool. I enjoyed it, but d00d, it was OOC to the extremest amount. Syndra's a powerhungry, oppressive tyrant queen who will do nothing to stop in her conquest for dominance, vengeance and power! STOP TREATING HER LIKE A CUTESY LITTLE GIRL WHOS IN LOVE WITH THE BIG BAD SHADOW NINJA. If you don't treat her like that, good job. That kind of Zed x Syndra is okay with me, but not baseless fangirl/fanboying. e_e**

**/EndRant. Sorry guys, that was really pent up in me. I just hate people who jump into the bandwagon at the first sign of things without even getting to know the characters, you know? (I'm looking at you, people-who-think-Talon-and-Katarina-are-actually-siblings) I mean no offense to anyone reading this or anyone anywhere. You know I love you guys more than I love myself (I actually hate myself -insertangsthere- ); which is why I dedicate hours upon hours of my life to write the perfect chapters so you guys can read it and smile.**

**I want your thoughts on this though guys. Do you want me to keep the bloody-gory things? Or should I tone it down and focus more on the romance? I will focus on that, but if the majority of you don't want to see this amount of gore and blood, I can tone it down. ^^ So please, leave a review and tell me, as well as tell me what you thought of this chapter and any mistakes you see or any improvements you can suggest. You can even suggest plots for me, as I always read every word my reviewers say, even if its a simple "cool story m8 i r8 8/8", it will make me feel glad.**

**Watch the Shadows, guys. They watch you too.**

**kthnxbai**

**~ Wings**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heyo guis!**

**Do you guys know I love you all? That is why I wrote through heaven and hell to give you another chapter as fast as I could :3**

**I will now start including a small list of songs I listened to while writing the chapter. Feel free to listen to them ^^**

**Also, a small shoutout to a story; "Death's Dance" by strawberrynirvana. That story is also a ZedxAkali fic and it gave the last amount of motivation that I needed to start writing this story! I also enjoyed reading it, so I suggest you guys to go and give it a read too. It's quite good.**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter :D**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**Songs: **

Losing your Memory by Ryan Star

Devotion by Hurts

Kill the Light by Lacuna Coil

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 2: **The Shadow waits.

Zed shot up in his bed, panting loudly as he whipped around to look at Akali, who had also woken up from Zed's sudden movement.  
"Zed, what's wrong?" Akali asked, worried at his sudden reaction as she sat up quickly as well, watching Zed stare at her like he had seen a ghost. The color had drained from his face and he looked as panicked as she had ever seen him. He suddenly grabbed her, bringing her close and kissing her with a bit more force than needed, before drawing away and simply embracing her, bringing her head close to his chest and holding her tight.  
"Akali… I thought… I lost you…" He muttered as Akali caught on and brought her hands up to curl around his back as well.

"It's okay Zed… It was just a dream. I'm here. I'll always be here." She whispered as Zed's hold on her tightened into a more protective one.

"Always." He whispered.

…

The morning was, luckily, not as eventful as the day before or the night. Zed had slept in and Akali had decided to not wake him, as he had not fallen asleep until the first rays of dawn was bleeding into the room through the blinds of the window. Akali had already left and went back to her apartment to dress up. And right now, she was consumed with the thoughts of Zed having that panic attack. Whatever he dreamt about must've been something quite nerve-wracking to be able to break Zed's otherwise unbreakable composure. She's only seen him like that once before and that was when she had just woken up from a coma.

"Earth to Akali, Come in, Earth to Akali." Irelia said, snapping her fingers infront of Akali as Akali blinked and jumped slightly. "Huh, sorry, what?" Akali said, looking apologtically at Irelia and Master Yi.  
"Geez, what did the bowl of cornflakes ever do to you? You're staring at it like you want to burn it in the fires of hell itself." Irelia said, sparing a glance at Akali's poor bowl of cereal, which had been sitting untouched infront of Akali for the last few minutes, instead being held as the focus of Akali's gaze while she was deep in thought.

"I'm sorry. I just have a lot on my mind." Akali said as Irelia nodded. "Yeah, I can see that. Yiyi, would you mind?" Irelia asked as Yi smiled back at Irelia. "Its okay, Irelia. I'm finished anyway." Yi said as he stood up and took his empty tray.  
"Always first, as usual." Irelia said with a grin.  
"Except in bed." Master Yi responded with a cheeky grin and a wink, causing Irelia to return a sly grin with a small tinge of red on her cheeks.  
"Ugh, could you please not do this infront of me. It's very awkward." Akali said with a small smile as Yi laughed, walking away, while Irelia made a "Pffft." noise, before saying, "How do you think I feel everytime you and Zed have those 'stare into each other's eyes for hours in seconds' thing."

"We don't do that!" Akali said indignantly while Irelia simply stared at Akali flatly, slowly raising an eyebrow. Akali pouted and lowered her face, resorting to stabbing her bowl of cereal with the spoon as she said, "Okay maybe we do…"

"Yeah." Irelia said. "So, what's up?" Irelia asked as Akali's face fell, swallowing the spoonful of cereal she had put into her mouth.

"It's… Zed." Akali said as Irelia frowned. "Oh no, is things not working out with hi-" "No no! Nothing like that!" Akali quickly interrupted, before sighing as Irelia waited. "He… He had a dream yesterday night. A bad one. And it really unhinged him… I'm just worried." Akali said as Irelia leaned back in her chair.

"Relax, Akali. Zed is a big boy, he can handle himself, better than most. Besides, he has you to support him, doesn't he?" Irelia said with a smile as Akali offered a small smile back at her friend as well. "Yeah, he does."

"Now… Speaking about Zed… Tell me about your 'nights' . " Irelia said slyly as she leaned forward again. Akali almost spat out the cereal in her mouth, choking and punching her chest.  
"W-What!?" She stuttered.  
"Oh you know. The dirty details! Is he a quickie type of guy? Or does he like to pull out the entertainment?" Irelia said with a dirty grin on her face as Akali flustered. "I am NOT talking about this." Akali said indignantly as Irelia laughed. "Oh god, Akali you're so adorable." Irelia said as her laughter slowly died down, wiping her eyes. "You're so innocent all the time yet I'm sure you're one of the lustiest rascals in bed." Irelia said as Akali flushed further.  
"I-Irelia!" Akali chastised as Irelia laughed again, causing Akali to groan and hang her head.

…

An hour or so later, Akali was dressed up in her usual green attire and walking into the summoning chambers. As she reached it, she ran into a familiar face in the form of blonde hair , an inquisitive young face and green-blue eyes.

"Summoner Jason!" Akali said as Jason looked at her and grinned. "Akali! Hey!" Jason said as Akali walked upto him. "You're partaking in this match?" Jason asked as Akali nodded. "I'm on the purple team." Akali said as Jason's face fell. "What's wrong?" Akali asked.

"I'm on the blue team. And as you know, I'll be summoning Zed." Jason said as Akali furrowed her brows. "So? We've fought on opposing sides many times." Akali said as Jason narrowed his eyes. "That's not the probl-"

"Well well well, if it isn't Summoner Jason." A high, cold feminine voice spoke up. Jason and Akali both turned around to see a female summoner. She had darker-than-black hair that hid one eye, while the other eyes was revealed to be bright golden in color. Yet, this gold color seemed cold and sinister. Markings extended from her visible eye, similar to the markings on LeBlanc's face. Her right hand was covered in white wrappings, as if she was wounded there.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your little champion friend?" She asked haughtily as Jason glared at the woman darkly. "Akali, this is Summoner Aranya. Aranya Averra." He said in a forced tone as the woman grinned in a way that sent chills down Akali's spine. "She's in the challenger division." Jason said as Aranya laughed coldly.

"Ah, how I love to hear you say that, Jason. And what are you at? Still Gold?" Aranya said scathingly as Jason remained silent. The woman laughed again before fixing Akali with a cold stare. "We'll see each other on the rift, then." She said before walking away.

"Who… was that?" Akali asked uneasily as Jason crossed his arms, face dark. "Aranya Averra, Challenger Division summoner. Overall bitch and a total asshole. Maybe I mixed the two words up there, but doesn't change the fact that she's a bitch. And she'll be on my team, meaning against you." Jason then fixed Akali with a look that indicated he was worried about her.

"What's wrong, Jason?" Akali asked after an uneasy pause.

"She's going to be summoning Syndra." Jason said, as Akali felt her blood run ice cold before rage entered into her head. "Oh, then this should be fun." Akali said angrily as she began walking off, but Jason grabbed onto her arm. "Don't be rash, Akali. Remember, she's a challenger division and far outclasses your summoner."

"I don't care, Jason. I'm going to get back at that bitch for the pain she put me through." Akali said heatedly as Jason kept a resolute stare on her. "Just don't lose your cool." Jason said before letting Akali go. Akali nodded once, still seething with anger, before briskly storming off into the summoning chambers.

It took maybe twenty more minutes before Akali was summoned onto the rift. As she walked into the mid lane, she spotted the dark sovereign on the other side of the lane. Syndra's eyes lit up with malice as she spotted Akali.  
"Oh ho ho ho…. This will be fun." Syndra said darkly as the spheres around her floated more menacingly.  
"Never knew you found 'dying a painful death' fun, Syndra." Akali retaliated coolly. "Although, given the sick bitch you are, I wouldn't put it past you." She added, as Syndra's face darkened with anger. And thus, as the minion waves came, the match began…

38 minutes later, the game was nearing it's end. The blue team was winning. Zed stalked through the brush in the purple side jungle, waiting for his target to approach. As he waited, he spotted him. The enemy jungler, Pantheon, neared Zed's position. However, as he drew close, Zed stepped out, causing Pantheon to stop.

"The end is here for you, Pantheon." Zed said with contempt as Pantheon narrowed his glowing eyes, raising his spear. "I will fight you till the last breath, Zed!"

Akali raised her head, getting the mental images of Pantheon fighting Zed from her summoner. On the other side, Ashe and Braum were in a losing battle against Twitch and Thresh. Their Jungler, Udyr, was also in the middle of a duel with the enemy top laner, Malphite.

That left…

Akali jumped to the left just in time to dodge the purple sphere that exploded into existence right where she had been standing moments ago. Syndra's laugh was high and cold as she slowly approached. Akali gritted her teeth. Their team was far behind and there was no chance she could win this battle. She threw her smoke pellets down as a shroud of smoke engulfed her, giving her some time to think.

"I don't think so." Syndra said viciously as a wave of power suddenly collided with Akali, throwing her back out of the shroud and into a nearby tree. Akali cried out in pain as she landed against the tree. She began standing up, but a powerful force suddenly enclosed on her wrists, pulling her forwards suddenly. The force turned, twisting her arms as she cried out in pain, being forced to let go of her kamas. The force let go of her hands, a second before her kamas were raised by the same force and then thrown hard, sailing over the treetops and far away from Akali.

As Akali scrambled up on her feet, Syndra laughed as she neared. "Oh, this brings back memories. Akali, as helpless as ever. This time, however, Zed cannot save you." Syndra said with a manic glint in her eyes. "He's mine, this time around."

Syndra's grin was wiped off her face, however, when Akali's foot planted itself into her face. Akali jumped off from her flying kick, landing a few feet back as Syndra spat out blood, as well as a teeth. Staring down at the blood, Syndra turned her face back to Akali, a crazy expression on her face. " YOU FUCKING PEASANT, HOW DARE YOU!" She screamed, the purple spheres suddenly shooting out at Akali.

Akali didn't even have time to take a breath before the first sphere slammed into her stomach, sending her into the tree again. Before she could even slide down the tree, all the other spheres began colliding into her body. Akali couldn't even scream as white hot pain shot throughout her body, feeling her bones crack and shatter as the spheres kept ramming into her over and over again, not even allowing her to slide down the tree before another one hit.

Finally, the onslaught stopped, allowing Akali to slide down the tree, which had bent from the force, to a half-sitting position on the ground. Blood dripped from her lips, her limbs unresponsive and bent in awkward ways as Syndra laughed.

"That was so much fun! I think I'll prolong this for even more enjoyment. Your team is losing anyway." Syndra said as Akali barely heard her, a ringing in her ears. She was having difficulty breathing as she could feel the blood pouring into her lungs through all the punctures of her own broken ribs digging into her lungs.

Before Syndra could do anything, however; there was the sound of wind rushing and in an instant, Zed stood infront of Akali, staring down Syndra through his helmet, his crimson eyes glaring at the Sovereign.

"Enough." Zed said coldly as Syndra raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to attack me Zed? I hurt your little slut, oh no, I'm so scared." She said mockingly, before spitting at the ground infront of him. "Not even you can defy the summoner's powers, Zed. You can do nothing but watch me play with your little toy until it breaks." Syndra said, grinning as Zed grit his teeth behind his helmet. Suddenly, Zed turned around and grabbed Akali by her shoulders gently.

Akali made no sounds as Zed gently embraced her bloodied form, before whispering to her ear, "I love you."

_**Shlick.**_

"Ah." Akali uttered, the small breath leaving her as blood dripped down Zed's armblade, which was currently burried deep into Akali's chest. With another sickening sound, Zed withdrew the armblade as Akali died in his arms, embracing her deeply again. He could not save her, but atleast he could spare her from further torture.

Syndra was laughing even more behind Zed now. "You actually care about your toy that much, Zed!? Hahahahaha, this is hysterical! I never thought you, of all people, would get attached to a broken toy." Syndra said as Zed held onto Akali's corpse silently until it faded from his arms, the magic of the summoner's rift dissipating her body. Zed stood up, keeping his back on Syndra as he said, "You know something Syndra? I pity you."

Syndra's laughter stopped then, the glee from her face slowly falling away as she stared at Zed. "What do you mean?" She asked skeptically as Zed kept his back to her.

"You're so… alone. Unloved. Unwanted. You have no friends. You have no family. You have no one who even cares about you. You remind me of myself a bit…" Zed shook his head. "But that is where our similarities end. Because unlike me, you have no redemption. You have no future to look forward to. Just you, with your hunger for power that will never end. You will die one day, alone and powerless, helpless to do anything. And no one will mourn you. No one will remember you. You will be nothing but ashes blown to the wind." Zed said darkly as Syndra stared at Zed silently, her lips parted in shock at his words, as well as anger. But before she could say anything, there was the resounding explosion that signalled the destruction of the Nexus, letting everyone know that the match ended.

"You will not even be a memory. And I pity you for that." Zed said finally as everything faded away, the summoner's rift erasing itself as the match ended.

…

Akali had waited in the changing rooms for a good amount of time to allow everyone else to leave first before she decided to exit the room, a dark expression on her face. She was angry and frustrated that she couldn't do anything against Syndra. As she exitted into the hallways, however, she found Zed waiting for her. He had taken his helmet off, allowing his black hair to be free as he spotted her and began walking to her.

They met halfway and Zed pulled her into an embrace, saying nothing.  
"Thank you, Zed." Akali said, knowing why Zed had done what he had done. She was glad he didn't let her suffer.  
"That was one of the single hardest things I've ever had to do in my life." Zed whispered as Akali offered a small smile to try and lighten the situation.

"We meet in battle on the Rift a lot, Zed." Akali said.  
"Yes, but neither of us have ever been in such a state…" Zed said darkly. "Syndra… She will pay. This will not go unanswered."

"Zed." Akali said resolutely, drawing away and using her fingertips to lower Zed's face so he would look at her. "You will not do anything. She's not worth it." Akali said as Zed remained silent, just staring at her with those intense eyes of his.

"Lets get going then." Akali said, stepping away while gently taking Zed's hand and pulling him to get him moving, letting go of his hand once he began moving forward. He remained silent, however, his eyes shadow-cast as his gaze smoldered, his thoughts going back to the nightmare he had about killing Akali, then to Syndra forcing him to do so in the Rift. The wound was too open and now salt had been poured onto it. He had almost lost Akali as well because of her. All, because of Syndra.

Because. Of. Syndra.

_She would pay._

...

It was in the middle of the night. Nothing moved in the dead of night. Syndra was floating above her bed, eyes closed as her spheres rotated around her slowly. She drifted up and down, as if caught in weightlessness, her white hair floating around her head. She was not clothed, as she lived alone in her apartment and found little reason to wear clothes when sleeping. She seemed to be half sleeping, half meditating, floating vertically above her bed. In her trance, she failed to notice the dark shadow that moved across the floor of her room. The shadow slowly moved across the room to the corner, where it was the darkest. For a few moments, the shadow melted into the darkness of the corner, joining the other shadows there. A second later, however, two red eyes opened higher up, as a full figure stepped out.

It was completely black and smoky, like a shadow brought to life. It was monochrome in color, mostly differing shades of black. Only it's eyes, a vivid shade of red, was what stood out. It walked forward slowly, each step normal yet making no noise, leaving not even an indentation in the carpet as the shadow walked towards the sleeping Sovereign.

Stepping up onto the bed, his weight didn't even cause the bed to dent in where his feet was stepping. Rising up, he stood next to Syndra's bare body, unfazed by her nudity.

_She would pay._

His arm raised up as he held it there. Ever so slowly, his armblade extended, looking as if it would create alot of noise of metal-against-metal, yet being completely and ominously silent. As it extended to full length, the very end of the blade just barely touched Syndra's chest. Only a few inches of skin, flesh and bone separated the cold shadowy blade from her beating heart. Powerful or not, Syndra was still a living being, with the same turn-off switch. The shadow pulled it's arm back, preparing to end the Sovereign's life. And then, shot the arm fo-

Zed woke up with a start, his red eyes staring out in the darkness of his room. Today, Akali had decided to sleep in her own room. Irelia had wanted to have a girls-night with Akali, so she hadn't refused. Zed did not protest either. Therefore, he was now in his room, sitting crosslegged on his bed. He had been meditating as he always did, by closing his eyes and focusing, summoning as many shadows as he could. Yet, some how, he had fallen asleep and dreamt of something… weird.

His red eyes focused forward, staring at a Shadowy figure. With his concentration nearly broken, only one shadow remained. That shadow stood directly infront of Zed, standing straight and unmoving, it's only striking feature being the vividly red eyes that belonged to Zed himself.  
Staring at the shadow, Zed felt vulnerable. Like the shadow was watching him rather than him watching it. With a small flicker of movement on his otherwise passive face, the shadow faded away, leaving the lingering red of it's eyes for a few moments after it had disappeared, leaving Zed all alone in his room. But hadn't he been alone after all? His shadows were only his creations, after all.

Then why had he felt like there was another presence in the room?

* * *

**Nothing else to say right now, except for the fact that I'm nearly keeling over from lack of sleep xD**

**Please leave a review guys. I would love to hear your thoughts on every chapter and I always read what you guys have to say. And remember, you guys need not have an account to review and tell me how much you loved/hated my story!**

**Listen to the Shadows, guys. They whisper Lies hidden in Truths.**

**kthnxbai.**

**~ Wings.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heyo e'rryone! Wings here again xD**

**I don't have much to say right now, aside from the fact that I've made a facebook page! Well, I've made it a long time ago but I've never really used it much, but that's changing soon. Just type in ****/WingsSenpai after the whole facebook link and you'll end up there xD leave me a few likes yo, I plan on starting that page up and regularly updating it. It's also your chance to interact with me and talk; I'm a generally friendly guy so if you want someone to talk to or if you need help with writing, I'll be there~**

**I don't expect everyone to like it xD Nor do I expect to get famous (yet huehuehue) but if you wanna stay up with me on regular updates rather than waiting months without any word from me here, that's your place to go to ^^**

**I don't have much else to say, aside from a small shout out to Vendra! She's got a real cool thing going on called "Book of Drabbles" . It's basically a bunch of league drabbles (noshitsherlock) but she writes amazing. Like, srsly xD She writes even better than me yo, so if you're looking for short reads, she's the girl!  
Also, another shout out to a collab story I'm doing with my awesome friend, Alsodef! I don't know if I've already done a shoutout for this, but I'm doing it now anyway; the Story is called " A New Reality" and it's a League of Legends x Sword Art Online crossover story focusing on 5 league champs. It's a Talon x Quinn pairing centric story as well, so do give it a read folks!**

That's pretty much all I have to say. Without further ado, the story.

**~ Wingsu Senpai**

* * *

**Shadow Within**

**Chapter 3: The shadow lurks**

"Zed, what's wrong?" Akali asked as soon as she walked upto Zed, a hand instantly going up to push some of his bangs away from infront of his face. Zed looked paler than usual, with dark circles under his eyes. They were standing in the middle of a corridor within the institute, having met up by chance while both were on their way to the cafeteria.

"I… spent the entire night training too hard. Forgot to sleep." The lie rolled off his tongue as easy as breathing as he looked down at Akali, his red eyes giving nothing away aside from their usual glow that always unnerved Akali. It was a constant reminder that, no matter how close they were, no matter how much she loved Zed or he loved her, he would always be a killer at heart. That's all he trained to be. That's all he ever was and would be.

"Must I always be there to get you to sleep?" Akali said with a small frown as Zed smirked. "I doubt we get much sleep together either." He said as Akali flushed, punching him lightly on the chest as she began walking towards the Cafeteria, Zed falling into step next to her with a couple of long strides.

"Did you have fun in your… Girl's night?" Zed asked.

"That's none of your business, Zed." Irelia said loudly as she walked up beside them, grabbing Akali in a one armed hug and pulling her slightly away from Zed. "Don't you know you shouldn't ask stuff like that to women?" She said as Zed stared at her flatly.

"I ask what I want to know, Irelia. I do not let things like gender affect my desire to know something." He replied as Irelia rolled her eyes.

"Irelia, do you have any news?" Akali asked as Irelia shrugged and shook her head. "None. Yesterday night was uneventful, probably because the institute tripled their security." Irelia answered as they opened the entrance to the cafeteria. As usual, it was bustling with other champions. The Demacian table, however, was subdued. They were quite depressed since the death of Garen. Lux hadn't been seen out of her room for a long time.

Akali spared the table a cursory glance, not being able to deny the twinge of sadness for them inside her heart. Zed, however, didn't even glance in that direction. His red eyes were focused on Syndra. He didn't know why… But he felt an immense surge of hatred for her, one that couldn't even be related to the match of yesterday. He felt like running over to her right now and running her through. He felt like slitting her throat open and letting her blood wash all over him. He felt lik-

"Zed?"

He blinked, pupils narrowing as his eyes did, in conjunction with his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he was confused as to what came over him. He looked over at who said his name, glancing slightly down to meet Akali's eyes. She seemed to be looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" She asked as Zed glanced over in Syndra's direction again. He noticed her violet eyes glancing at his direction. A sudden urge came over him and Zed grabbed Akali by her chin, pushing her face up (not very forcefully, but none too gently either) as he leaned down to catch her lips in a kiss that took her by surprise, a short gasp of surprise escaping her before his lips met hers. She melted into his kiss, as she always did, her hands wrapping up around his neck as his hand came around her waist to pull her close.

He stepped to the right, turning them around slightly before he parted the kiss, their breaths hot with desire as they mixed in the air between their faces. A flush had entered Akali's face as Zed's red eyes flicked up past her to look at Syndra.

He saw the dark expression of jealousy on her face and allowed himself an internal smirk as a sick feeling of pleasure flooded into him. His eyes jumped back down to Akali's eyes as she stared up at him.

"Zed…" She whispered, not really knowing what else to say.

"Uh, Guys." Irelia interrupted as Akali and Zed turned their heads to look at her. "This is the cafeteria, guys. We eat food here. Not each other." Irelia said as Akali blushed while Zed blinked, confused as to why he had suddenly done that. These days, he didn't quite feel like himself…

…

By the time Zed was done with all the games where he had been summoned to, it was afternoon and the sun was setting. He was trudging back to his room until he heard running footsteps, a familiar summoner running upto him as he turned around.

"Summoner Jason?" Zed asked, his eyebrows rising slightly in slight surprise as Jason flashed him a short smile as he doubled over and panted, trying to get his breath back. "Hey Zed... good thing... I caught you." He said in between gasps.

"Do you require me for something?" Zed asked as Jason

"I wanted to invite you to my birthday party." Jason said, grinning. "Theres gonna be alot of other champions there. I also asked Akali to be there and she said she would be and to go persuade you to come." He handed Zed a small envelope, sealed with wax, as Zed looked down curiously at it. Breaking the wax seal and opening it, he pulled out the paper inside and unfolded it.

"All the details are given in the invitation. Do come, it's going to be fun." Jason said as Zed glanced up at him with flat red eyes. "Summoner Jason, in all the time you've spent using me as your main champion, I believe you should've figured out that I don't really 'do' fun." He said flatly as Jason simply grinned, his green-blue eyes beaming as he patted Zed on the back. "Great, I'll see you then!"

It was obvious Jason wasn't taking no for an answer so Zed simply sighed resignedly as he watched Jason walk off.

…

It was a few minutes before ten as Zed stopped in the hallway infront of the Elnara Hall. There were multiple large halls in the institute, which were used for events or could be booked by Summoners for their own events or parties. This one was booked by Jason, apparently, as Zed looked through the doorway at the large hall, which was teeming with guests inside, most of them summoners with a few champions here and there, all of who were dressed fancy.

Zed wore a black suit that was tailored to his form, fitting him perfectly. His pants were just as black as his blazer, and inside he wore a similarly black full-sleeve shirt, over which he wore a deep red waist coat. A crimson red tie, gleaming as the light reflected off of it's silky texture, along with a equally red pocket square, completed his ensemble. His black hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail at the back, a few bangs on his front and sides hanging free and giving him his very own 'Debonair' look.

"Zed." A calm, flat voice said from his right as Zed glanced over, his red eyes meeting golden ones, glowing just as much as his eyes did. Shen was similarly dressed in a suit of black, but he wore a white shirt underneath and a deep blue tie. His short brown hair was artfully tousled up, so Shen looked much better than he normally did. His golden eyes matched quite nicely with the golden tiepin that he also wore.

"Shen?" Zed asked, giving him a once over as Shen did the same with him. "Are you going to be standing outside the party all throughout?" Shen asked coolly as Zed turned his head back towards the doorway. "Don't mind having company?" Zed asked as Shen stared inside the party along with Zed. "I don't, actually." He replied, earning a short snort of disbelief from Zed. These two had been quite hostile to each other not too long ago, but the events that had brought Zed and Akali together had also made these two set aside their past and bury the hatchet. They weren't really friends, but they had a grudging respect for one another now.

"Do you know who else is invited?" Zed asked as Shen shrugged. "Our summoner likes to be quite social with a lot of people." He said as the sounds of 'clack clack' turned their heads to the side. Zed's eyes widened as he forgot how to breathe.

Akali's hair was tied up in an elegant fashion, with multiple loose strands curling down from it, some of her front bangs free to frame her face. She wore a red dress that fell to her feet, most of her shoulders bared except for one strand, beautifully decorated with white gems that sparkled in the light, about an inch wide on her right shoulder. The same decoration of white gems also curved in a 1-inch wide line along her left, coming in from her left mid riff, curving around on her left-stomach area before going back out of side to her left waist. The dress had a cut at the thigh, baring one of her long, smooth legs. She wore a similarly white-gem bracelet on her right hand, with white high-heels that brought her tall enough to just about look Zed in the eyes, though she still was an inch shorter. As she got closer, Zed could see that her face looked different. In a good way. Someone had put make up on her, and really skillfully too, as they had put it on sparingly to keep her ionian beauty. It was mostly just touch ups rather than full-on make up, making her lips shine with a slight pink tinge as a light blush almost indiscernable from her skin colored her cheeks, some touch-ups to around the eyes making her maroon eyes stand out.

"Well?" Akali asked nervously, obviously anxious about Zed's reaction. Zed couldn't speak, finding himself completely flabbergasted by how absolutely beautiful she was looking.

"You look… Lovely." Shen said from behind Zed as Akali glanced at Shen shyly, nodding and murmuring a small "Thank you."

Her words were almost drowned out by a loud, "Damn right she's effin' beautiful!" Ahri popped up from behind Ahri, dressed in a dark blue dress, low cut in the front, even lower at the back to the point of reaching her hips, though the view there was obscured by her tails. She looked even more beautiful than Akali, but charms and looks were her forte and for Zed, she looked _too_ good for his tastes. "I was the one who helped make her pretty for you, Zed, so you better say something soon or I'ma smack you, and I'd hate to bruise such a pretty face." Ahri said, her voice quite energetic and proud at first, before turning it's usual tone of sultry at the last few words.

"I think we should leave these two." Shen said, grabbing Ahri by her arm and dragging her away, much to Ahri's protests, leaving Zed and Akali standing outside in the hall.

Zed continued to gaze at her silently with wide eyes of surprise as Akali looked up at his look, averted her eyes off to the side as a flush crept up on her cheeks, sheepishly rubbing her right arm with her left arm before looking back up at him tentatively as she asked, "What do you think?"

"I do not think anything, my love…" Zed said softly, stepping closer to Akali as he raised one hand, running the back of his forefinger up Akali's jawline before touching one of the lazy ringlets of her hair that fell from the complicated bun above. "For I'm afraid you've made my mind go blank with your beauty."

If Akali was blushing before, it was nothing compared to how pink her cheeks turned now as she bit her lips, wanting to shy away from Zed's touch but stopping herself. The whole foreignness of wearing such a dress was making her feel extremely vulnerable.

"There you two are!" A feminine voice spoke from the entrance as they both turned their heads to see a short girl with medium-short blonde hair and large, doll like blue eyes. "Jason has been looking for you two! Come on, come on!" She said, coming forward and grabbing Akali's hand, dragging her into the party as Akali followed, still surprised by her appearance. As she was pulled into the party, Zed's breath caught in his chest for a second time when he saw that Akali's dress also had a very low back, although not as low as Ahri's. It was modest compared to Ahri's, only reaching down to her mid back in a lazy curve rather than a sheer valley.

"Welcome to my humble party!" Jason said cheerfully as Zed and Akali stood infront of him. Jason himself wore a suit of blinding white, with pale blue trimmings and a pale blue tie. His blonde hair was spiked up and to one side, giving him quite the dashing look as his mercurial eyes gleamed with liveliness.

"I believe our definitions of 'humble' are quite different, Summoner Jason." Zed said as Jason laughed at that, "It sure is, Zed! Please, don't let me keep you. Have a drink, have a dance, enjoy yourselves! It's a party after all." Jason said with a grin as he walked off to attend other guests. Zed and Akali looked at each other again, Akali flashing him a shy smile as Zed blinked, still being unable to process how absolutely stunning Akali looked.

"AKALIII~!" A high pitched voice squealed as Akali turned around to find Kennen sprinting towards her and then jumping up. Akali let out a yelp of panic as Kennen flew at her, but luckily, someone's arm suddenly got in the way and caught Kennen deftly out of the air by the collar of his own little tuxedo, preventing him from crashing into Akali. "Kennen, Ahri spent alot of time helping Akali dress up like that, you shouldn't go off ruining it." Shen said as he held Kennen up while Kennen sheepishly grinned and muttered, "Oops, my bad."

"Thanks Shen." Akali said, flashing him a grateful smile as Shen offered a friendly smile back, "Map awareness is what I do."

As Shen walked off, Kennen jumped up and down infront of Akali, "Akali! Wow! You look so beautiful so amazing how is your hair so pretty you're almost sparkling are you really Akali wow!" Kenne said, all of his words fast and energetic as Akali couldn't help but chuckle at her friend's reactions, while Zed stood beside her, sipping a golden colored alcoholic drink that was rich in taste, looking around the hallroom while Akali and Kennen conversed.

The faces he saw were mostly unknown summoners, but here and there he spotted people he knew, most of whom were champions he had faced in the fields of justice. He saw the large Hand of Noxus, Darius, in a with a military-blazer instead of a regular suit, showcasing a few of his medals on it's front, talking with a couple of summoners. Elsewhere, he saw Elise in a gorgeous dark gossamer, talking with a summoner with a seductive look on her face. His eyes also landed on Irelia, who was laughing softly as Yi spoke something into her ear. She wore a pretty emerald colored dress that sparkled in the light, while Yi had gone for a simple black long-coat over a dark red shirt, his green eyes bared in one of those rare occasions.

"Zed."

A low voice spoke as Zed turned about to look at the owner of the voice. He was a tall, slender man, wearing a pitch black long-coat that reached down to his ankles, with black inside as well. His skin, already pale, looked almost alabaster in contrast to his outfit as well as the ebony mess of hair on his head. He had a strange sort of marking under his left eye, composed of multiple sharp shapes that were triangular and branched out around his eye, all of them bending in the middle of their length and jutting off to the left. His eyes were Icy blue.

Zed remained silent, waiting for the man to speak, staring at his blue eyes, which seemed to be an exact opposite of Zed's red eyes, yet they were just as cold and predatory. The only difference, aside from the color, was that the summoner's eyes didn't glow.

"I'm High Summoner Caelum. I wish to speak with you." He said as Zed had to raise an eyebrow at that. High Summoners were rare; only the best of the best summoners, who were in the Challenger Division. Beckoning for Zed to follow him, Summoner Caelum began walking off. Zed glanced at Akali, who was still talking with Kennen, and then looked back at Caelum. He began following the summoner.

The night air was crisp and cool on the balcony as Zed closed the glass doors behind him, the noise of the party being drowned out almost instantly as soon as the door closed. Summoner Caelum was leaning on the railings, looking up at the moon. Zed took a few steps forward, yet maintained a good distance from the summoner.

"Zed. How have you been feeling recently?" Caelum asked as Zed raised an eyebrow.  
"What kind of question is that?" Zed replied cooly, crossing his arms. Caelum turned around, leaning backwards on the railing this time as he pushed his hands into his pockets; a very non-chalant posture.  
"A simple question with a simple answer." Caelum said as Zed stared flatly at the summoner. He did not answer or say anything.

"How long have you been afraid of the dark, Zed?"

For a moment, it seemed that the whole world had gone silent, with no noise aside from the low susurration of the wind.  
"Where did you get that question from, High summoner?" Zed asked, his voice notably more chilly.

"When one dabbles in what I've dabbled in, we tend to see things we shouldn't really be seeing." Caelum said, his tone almost a drawl.

"Are you implying that I, a master of the shadows, am afraid of the dark?" Zed asked, snorting in contempt at the High Summoner.

Caelum sighed as he closed his eyes, lowered his face and shook his head. Then he raised his face again, opening his eyes and looking at Zed with a fixed, piercing stare. "There is darkness growing, Zed. There is a Shadow within you. You'd best address it before it becomes too much of an issue." He said as Zed's eyes narrowed.

"What's that supposed to me-"

"Zed?"

Akali's voice made him turn around to see Akali standing there, the door half open as she leaned out of it to look at him. "What are you doing out here?"

Zed turned back around, but Summoner Caelum was gone.

"Nothing I… Just needed some air." He muttered as he looked back at Akali, who had stepped out into the balcony and closed the door, effectively silencing the party again. She walked over to him with concern in her eyes.

"Is everything alright?" She asked as she slowly reached up to touch his face, but he shied away from her touch, closing his eyes as he turned half away from her, unable to see the flash of hurt in her eyes at his motion as her hand slowly fell down to her sides again.

"I… Don't know, Akali. I don't know whether everything is fine or if everything is wrong." Zed said as he stared out into the horizon.

Her weight fell onto his back gently as her arms wrapped around his front from behind. "Zed… I am here for you." Akali whispered as she laid her head on his back gently so as not to ruin his suit with her make up and vice versa as she embraced him. "No matter what happens… I will always be here for you. I will always be by your side." Akali said.

"What if I betray you?" Zed asked quietly as Akali blinked slowly, thinking over it slowly before saying, "You won't."

"How can you be so sure?" Zed asked again, his eyes narrowing slightly as the images of his dream flashed across his mind; images reminding him of how he had killed Akali.

Akali drew her left hand away from his chest and extended it in front of him as he looked down at her slender hands and elegant fingers.

"Do you see the ring you gave me?" She asked as Zed looked at the platinum ring upon her ring-finger, the diamond glittering even in the low light, like one of the stars from the night sky had placed itself upon her finger.

"This is the promise you gave me, Zed. This is what makes me have complete and utter faith in you."

"I am a murderer, Akali. A predator. I can just as easily lie as I can kill." He said as Akali let go of him, stepping away before firmly placing her hands on his shoulders and turning him around so he would look at her.

"You are not who you once were, Zed, nor am I the same person. A year ago I wouldn't have thought twice about killing you if I had the chance. A year ago, you would've killed me without a second thought as well. But things have changed, and with them, us." Akali said as she reached up to cradle his face with her hands as Zed looked down at her with pain in his eyes, the look of one who hated himself.

"I won't deny it… You are still a predator, Zed… A killer… You can never put down what defines you. But you are not the same as you once were. And I know you for who you are and who you once were, all those years ago." Akali said as she slowly leaned forward, closing the distance in between them as Zed relaxed and met her halfway, their lips gently meeting in what was perhaps their most gentle and intimate kiss in a long time. A kiss full of so much meaning that it couldn't even be fully comprehended by either of them.

It lasted perhaps ten or twelve seconds, but for them it could've lasted until time itself had ceased to exist, until the world had turned to dust and gray, until the skies itself burned with the dying of the light.

"Hey lovebirds."

They broke off the kiss to look at the door to see Jason peeking out at them with a grin on his face. "You two missed the cake cutting, and if you two are done, I'd like you to have some cake before it's all gone." He said as Akali smiled at him, a small blush on her cheeks. "Uh, yeah, sorry, we're coming." Akali said as Jason chuckled. " Too much info, Akali." He said with another snicker as Akali flustered.

"Summoner Jason, You know I'd hate to throttle you on your birthday." Zed said casually as Jason rolled his eyes. "Yes yes Zed, we all know you're a big bad shadow ninja. But seriously you two, cake. You can't miss it." And with that, Jason went back to his party, leaving Zed and Akali alone on the balcony again. The two shared eye contact again as Akali gave a small, sheepish smile and said, "So… Cake?"

...

The party had gone on quite late into the night and by the time they were heading back to their rooms, Akali was quite exhausted as well as buzzed from the alcoholic drinks provided. Zed was also feeling its effects but he was managing to maintain himself. He was helping Akali back to their room, as she was finding it difficult to continue walking in heels.

As he opened the door to their room, Akali pushed herself off of him as she muttered, "Thanks Zed, I can… I can take care of things from here." As Akali stumbled into the bathroom, Zed remained at the door, brooding over the things that High Summoner Caelum had said to him.

"_...There is darkness growing, Zed. There is a shadow within you." _

Zed clenched his fists as he thought about it all. Closing the door and locking it, he took off his formal clothing, changing into something more comfortable. When he finally lied down on bed, he was wearing nothing but a pair of grey boxers. He pulled up the covers and allowed the lights to dim down into darkness as he stared up at the ceiling, his left arm bent under his head to prop it slightly up.

He didn't know how many minutes he had spent like that, just mulling over the things High Summoner Caelum had said… He hadn't said much but for some reason it had been echoing in his mind.

In the darkness, Akali had walked out of the bathroom and walked over to the wardrobe; since Akali stayed with Zed so much these days, she had a bunch of her clothes in his wardrobe for her use. When she lied down on the bed next to him, shrugging under the covers, she wore only a blank tanktop and a pair of white loose pants that had little pink dots designing it; something that Akali found to be cute.

She looked over at him as Zed continued to stare up at the ceiling. It wasn't hard to see if his eyes were open or not in the dark, given that his eyes glowed dimly. Akali scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around him as she laid her head in the crook of his arm. Zed blinked before looking down at her, Akali looking up at him as she gave him a reassuring smile.

Zed's eyes softened as he leaned down to kiss her gently on the forehead. "Good night." He whispered as Akali murmured the same to him, closing her eyes and snuggling into him. Looking down at her, Zed found himself in one of those moments where he was enraptured by how beautiful she was. Her pale skin seemed like white porcelain in the dim, diffused light of moonlight that managed to seep through the blinds over the windows. Her dark hair cascaded all around her face, shoulders and back in waves, still curvy and wavy in their flow due to their their previous position. Her face was at complete peace as she breathed slowly and deeply in her sleep, the ghost of a smile playing at her lips to indicate the comfort she felt in his presence. Zed could hear her heart beating against his side, slowly slowing down as she fell deeper into sleep.

Admiring her beauty, Zed himself was slowly getting lost to his own tiredness until he had fallen asleep without him even noticing as the image of Akali sleeping next to him, in a loose embrace, stayed with him even as he fell into the folds of sleep.

* * *

**If you liked the chapter and/or the story, please leave a review! (You Don't need an account to review!)  
Even the smallest reviews hold a lot of meaning for me guys, although if you make long detailed reviews I will love you for it. So yes, do leave your thoughts or suggestions in the reviews and I'll be sure to read them!**

Stay awesome, readers!  
Until next time ^^

~ Wingsu Senpai


	4. Chapter 4

**Yo guys, it's me! Wingsu! The one and only!**

***absolute silence as any and all readers who had been here have either died from waiting or left***

**;-;**

**anyways, as always, sorry to keep you waiting xD This chapter's a short one, but then again, I intended it to be short. Call it selective content. :^)  
No srsly, it's to maximize the suspense this chapter plays on, as well as to give you guys something to keep you from sending me death threats and hatemail (I'm beginning to miss all the fangirls sending me fangirl messages xD ladies pls restart that trend.)**

**Anyway, jokes aside, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, as always.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 4**

Akali sat calmly upon the edge of the half-open corridor overlooking the courtyard. Her bare feet grazed the grass as they swung gently, the soft cotton white and red kimono covering her in a comfortable way. Her long black hair was down, falling down her back like a black lustrous waterfall before splaying around the wooden floor as it reached it. A large section of her hair was pulled forward, over one shoulder. One of her slender hands held the hair gently, another hand guiding a brush through its ebony tresses, the teeth of the comb gliding smoothly down the length of her hair like a shark-fin through water. Her maroon eyes stared off without really looking at anything, thoughts going through her mind instead.

She put the brush down as her hands automatically found their way over to her abdomen, gently placing themselves over it. She smiled, wondering about the life inside… No, two lives inside. Shen had told her she would be having twins. Just thinking about it made her happy. She would be a mother, Zed would be a father. She wondered how happy their family would be. The days of them working together day and night to raise their children, the fruit of their love. Their life had been harsh, wrought with pain and struggle, but they had never given up on each other. And through it, they had come this far.

She heard a sound and looked over her shoulder to see Zed standing at the end of the hallway. His long hair hid his eyes, which were normally prominent with their eerie glare of crimson. He was in his battle regalia, minus the helmet. Akali frowned as she stood up slowly, taking care not to put too much strain on her slightly enlarged womb. "Zed, is something wrong?" She asked in a soft voice as Zed simply stood there. He had gone out for his routine training with his order of ninjas. But he never came back this early… And…

Akali's eyes widened slightly as Zed took a step towards her. Not because of his movement, but because she saw the blood splattered on it. "Zed, what's wrong?" She asked again, with more concern and strength in her voice now. Zed took another step forward. He began to slowly walk towards her, his gait menacing in its pace. Akali fought the impulse to run. This was Zed… He was her husband. He would never hurt her.

He suddenly stopped a few feet away from her, still in the shadows, while Akali was in the gentle light of the cloudy afternoon light streaming in through the open side of the corridor. Zed had stopped a feet away from the light. "...Zed?" She asked softly and tentatively. Zed raised his head and his eyes fixed themselves on Akali. His red eyes, normally so piercing in their predatory gleam, seemed deadened. Like he had no life. Like he had seen something so horrible it had sent him into shock. Something bad must've happened…

"Zed, you're bleeding." Akali whispered as she noticed that there was some wounds on Zed as well. She walked up to him and gasped as she saw a small cut at his throat. Something had missed his jugular by a hair's breadth. "Zed, what happened?" She asked, her eyes wide with shock and pain at his injury. Zed slowly lowered his head to fix his eyes on her as Akali looked up at him, blinking once. Twice.

"Ze-Ughu...!?" Akali's word was cut off by a choked sound of pain as her eyes went wide. She slowly looked down and saw his fist pressed against her womb, the fabric of her white kimono slowly turning crimson from the epicenter of his punch. And that's when she felt rather than saw the cold steel of his blades jutting out of her abdomen. She couldn't even utter a noise out of pure shock as she simply stared down at the blade as Zed slowly slid it out, Akali feeling every single inch of the unforgiving metal exit her body, feeling warmth replacing the cold. The wet feeling at her back let her know that the blade had gone right through her. She felt no pain, only a curious emptiness, filling with warmth as her blood flooded into the gap made and left by the intruding blade.

She stumbled back, the thought of Zed doing this to her still ringing in her senses, the shock of it not even registering as she looked back up into his eyes. They were still the same dead scarlet, glowing yet lifeless. Zed moved in a mechanical way towards her as Akali fell back in her stumbling. The impact of her bottom hitting the floor must've jarred her senses because that is when the brutal, excruciating pain suddenly flared into her mind. She crawled around and tried to get up, tried to run. Her only thought was to save the babies, but with the way he had stabbed her…

No, her mind wasn't accepting the fact. She moaned in the effort and pain to get up with a slashed up midsection, pouring her life's blood into the fabric of her clothing. There was a sudden slicing and white hot pain lanced through her calves as Akali fell forward with a short cry of pain. She couldn't move her feet, and looking back, she saw that Zed had sliced her calves, his blades dripping with blood.

Akali let out a pained, choked sob, accompanied by blood coming out of her mouth as she dug her fingernails into the hard, polished wood and pulled herself, crawling with her rapidly dying strength to escape, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. She made it a few inches as Zed simply walked around her to her side, another cry escaping Akali as she clenched her eyes shut and pulled with all her might, but her arms wouldn't pull her any faster or harder, the strength rapidly leaving her.

A kick to her midriff made her pass out for a few seconds as white hot pain invaded every pore on her body, and for a second there was reprieve. But she instantly regained conciousness as soon as he body slammed into the grass of the courtyard, sliding back a few inches on her side as she automatically brought her knees up and curved her body forward, her hands going to her bleeding abdomen, sobs coming out of her at the death of her children, not even caring about her own body slowly dying. The pain was magnified a hundredfol- no, it was an infinite amount greater, knowing that Zed was doing this - had done this. She looked up to see Zed standing there, looking down at her… And saw… Tears.

Tears were streaming out of Zed's lifeless eyes as he seemed to struggle where he stood, not moving. And then, he made a short sound, "Hrk-!" as a black shadowy blade suddenly shot out of his chest, his blood spurting out, flecks of it hitting her face as she felt their warmth on her rapidly cooling skin. She didn't even have the strength to lift her head anymore, only watched with horror in her eyes as Zed fell forward, his dying breath escaping him in a low moan as his fall revealed a black shadowy figure standing where he had stood. The figure fixed its vivid red eyes on her, seeming to emanate reddish smoke from its gaze, as it stared for a few seconds. And then, it vanished.

Akali's eyes drifted back to Zed, whose face was covered by his hair as he laid beside her, unmoving, his blood rapidly pooling beneath him. It seemed to take enormous effort, but one of her hands moved, inch by inch, towards Zed. Towards one of his hands that was closest to her. She seemed to inwardly scream at the effort it took and the slowness of her movements as her hand crawled to his. But finally, as her lungs finally stopped being able to draw breath, her fingers curled around his, tears escaping her eyes even though her vision went dark. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears as everything became non-existent, death taking her… But why was her heart still beating?

…

"Akali!"

Akali's eyes opened to dim darkness, and for a second, she thought she really had died. But then she felt his calloused yet smooth hands upon her shoulders, shaking her as his red eyes came into focus, looking at her with the slightest bit of concern in his otherwise emotionless glare.

Her face felt wet and when she bit her lips she tasted salt instead of the coppery taste of blood. She had been crying. She got up and swung her legs off the bed, facing away from Zed as she braced both her hands on the edge of the bed on either side of her, hanging her head as she clenched her eyes shut. She could still feel the phantom pains in her abdomen. One of her hands unconsciously went over to gingerly feel her midsection for any sign of the injury as she tried hard not to break out into sobs.

"Akali?" Zed asked, his voice low. Though she knew he had not intended it, the flat tone of his voice and the low, whispered tone made it far more sinister than a normal person's. It made a shudder run through her. She felt his hand making its way to her and she almost recoiled, shooting out of bed and onto her feet. She turned around, knowing her reaction wasn't appropriate. It had been a dream. Looking at Zed, she saw through the dark predatory gaze of his eyes and saw the emotions behind them. Confusion at her reaction, then realization and acceptance. "It was a dream, Akali… " Zed said in a slow way in an effort to soothe her, but it only pricked further at the fear that was making her so irrational.

She shook her head as she put one hand on her mouth, then shifted that hand up to her forehead, pushing away a bunch of hair that had fallen in front of her face. She then walked over to grab a dressing gown as she pulled it on and tied the belt. "I'm sorry… I… I need some air." She said as she walked away briskly without saying anything else, over to the main door and out. The cool air outside of the room was the first thing that hit her senses as she closed the door and kept walking.

She walked for a long time without really thinking of where she was going, until she ended up in one of the balcony hallways. she slowed down and walked over to the railing, leaning against it as she wiped her face for, perhaps, the third time in an effort to dry any trace of the tears that had fallen. She didn't know why she was reacting this way, but the dream… It was just too shocking. She knew she was being stupid for letting the dream affect her like that but she couldn't help it. Zed was the one person she had learned to trust with her life, to trust with everything she was. So that dream had hit a very, very sensitive region in her heart. And the way the shadow had loomed over them… It was like his shadow had taken over him and he was being controlled by it rather than the other way around. Something which might be possible. The very thought of that sent shudders down her spine.

She wondered for a few seconds on what to do and then decided.

…

The door opened a minute after she knocked as Irelia's sleepy look vanished from her face as soon as she saw Akali on the other side of the door, being replaced with a look of mixed surprise and concern.

"Akali? What's wrong?" Irelia said, opening the door wide to allow her friend to enter. Akali entered as she felt slightly rude for coming out to her. "I'm sorry to disturb you this late, Irelia."

Irelia waved it off with one hand. She was wearing a white T-shirt, which probably belonged to Master Yi, and a pair of boxers, which also probably belonged to Yi. "You wouldn't have come if it wasn't serious. Can I get you something?" Irelia asked as Akali shrugged. Irelia took Akali's hand and her eyes widened slightly. "Akali, your skin's freezing! Have you been walking out at this hour?" Irelia shook her head disapprovingly as she pulled Akali into the kitchen area. Akali didn't even really notice how cold she was, as she felt numb from when she woke up. She sat down at the seat Irelia pulled up for her as Irelia rummaged through the cupboards. "Yi, could you get a blanket?" Irelia said as Akali raised her head to see Yi open up the wardrobe and bring out a spare blanket. His hair was brown and cut short as Akali asked, "Wasn't your hair black?"

Yi looked at her with his kind, green eyes and smiled. "Yeah, it was dyed. The dye came off now. Brown's my original color." He said as he came over and draped the blanket over Akali, who nodded her thanks and wrapped it around her shoulders. Irelia walked back over to her, handing her a hot cup of a brown, thick drink. The smell confirmed it to be chocolate. Irelia took a few steps back and leaned back on to countertop so she was half-sitting, half-standing. Yi went over to stand next to her; Akali realized he was shirtless now, a pair of grey sweatpants below.

"Tell me Akali… What happened? Does it have anything to do with Zed?" Irelia said as the gears in her head turned and her eyes became fierce. "If he did anything to hurt you, I swear I wi-"

"No, it's not Zed." Akali said as looked down at the drink, appreciating the warmth that emanated from it into her hands. "Not exactly."

"What do you mean 'not exactly' ?" Yi asked softly, as Irelia's eyes became filled with concern again, her brows furrowing ever so slightly.

"I just had… a very bad dream, that's all." She said as Irelia and Yi shared a glance. "Look, I'm sorry for disturbing you tw-"

"No no, that's not the problem. Like I said, you wouldn't have come if it wasn't serious." Irelia said, and then added a small smile, "I'm also a bit glad you came to me. Because hey, that's what best friends are for." She said as Akali offered a weak smile at that, taking a sip of the hot chocolate. Warmth spread throughout her as it travelled down to her stomach as she gave a sigh of contentment.

"The dream must've been quite bad, having traumatized you so much that you couldn't seek comfort with Zed." Yi said as Akali nodded. "It was quite a… bad dream." She said quietly as Irelia leaned forward. "It's okay sweetie, you don't need to talk about it if you don't want to." She said gently.

"I dreamt of the future." Akali said as Irelia leaned back again, listening. "I dreamt I was married to Zed… That I was pregnant with his children. Twins… Ryuu and Saori, " Akali whispered, knowing them from another dream she had once had, when she was in a coma. "I… I was waiting for him to come home from his temple, looking out into the courtyard… He came early and… he was covered in blood. I walked over to him, concerned and he…" Just thinking of it made her ache somewhere in her chest. She didn't know why she was being affected so much by a dream, but it made her frustrated that she was. "He ran me through my stomach with his armblades."

Irelia's hand slowly raised up to her mouth in horror, her eyes wide as Yi kept his face blank. "I… I looked into his eyes. It wasn't him. It was his shadow, I know it now." She said, her voice gaining slightly more energy as she confirmed the fact. "He was being controlled by the shadow. I tried to turn and run but he sliced my legs and incapacitated me. I tried to crawl away but he walked over and kicked me in my side. I was thrown into the courtyard by it and as I bled to death… I saw him resisting. And then a pair of black blades jutted out of his chest… The shadow stabbed him from behind once it couldn't control him anymore and he dropped dead next to me…" Akali whispered. "I'm not… I'm not reacting this way just because it's a dream… I'm reacting this way because I think this might happen in the future." She said.

"Akali, it was a dream. It's not going to happen." Irelia said soothingly as she came down to one knee infront of Akali, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You know Zed. He's strong… Stronger than all of us. He wouldn't let this shadow take him over… Sure, maybe once upon a time he would've lost to it… But not anymore." She said as Akali looked up at Irelia, tears in her eyes. "Because he has you now. He has you to fight for, to protect. You give him strength to keep that monster inside. He will neve-"

A scream ripped through the air, muffled by the walls yet silenced Irelia as she looked up in shock, Yi uncrossing his arms as he glanced at the general direction of where it came from.

"What the…" Irelia muttered as Yi quickly walked around them. He picked up his sword from the mount and drew it, opening the door and stepping out as Irelia stood up. "Stay here." She said to Akali as she quickly walked outside as well, Akali watching her leave. After a second, Akali put her cup onto the counter and stood up, shedding the blanket as she did so, and followed them outside. She stepped outside just as Irelia was heading back.

"What happened?" Akali asked as Irelia shook her head, looking grim. "There's been another attack. We were too late… Another champion dead." Irelia looked sickened as Akali made to walk past her, but Irelia stopped her. "Trust me Akali. I know you've seen brutal killings before in your life as a kunoichi, but that doesn't mean you have to see this as well… Not right now. It's not pretty." Irelia said as she guided Akali back inside.

"Where's Yi? Which champion was murdered?" Akali asked as Irelia closed the door. "A Yordle, unidentifiable right now. Yi went to the guards as well as to get someone to let the High Summoner Council and the Judicator know." She said as she guided Akali to her bed with a less-than-gentle grip. "Irelia, what are you not telling me?" Akali asked as Irelia stopped and looked at her friend with pain in her eyes. "Akali… Stay in my room tonight. Sleep here." She said as Akali searched her friend's face.

"Irelia. Tell me. Please." She said as Irelia's face turned pleading before turning into pained acceptance. "Yi saw a shadow right before it vanished, standing over the corpse…"

"What do you mean?"

"Akali... it was Zed's Shadow."

* * *

**Such suspense, much wow, very scare.**

**Yes I'm a hardcore Doge. **

**Anyway, if you liked or disliked the chapter or have any thoughts on it, please feel free to leave a review. It only takes a few seconds and doesn't need you to have an account to do so!**

**If it's your birthday when you're reading this, happy birthday. If it's not, happy birthday anyway xD  
**

**Stay safe, readers! Try not to get shadow-stabbed. :^)**

**~ Wings****  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone, Wings here again!**

**My muse is on a roll, so here's the next chapter of Shadow Within!**

**Major plot is finally unveiled in this chapter!**

**Enjoy!  
**  
**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

Chapter 5

Akali sat on Irelia's bed as Irelia kept her arms cross, her face grim. The door opened and both of them perked up to see Yi come back. He looked slightly pale from the gruesome scene he must've seen, with a grim look on his face. "They've identified the corpse as Teemo, the Swift Scout." Yi said as Irelia's lips thinned. "He was… A good person. Annoying as hell in game and everyone disliked him, but more so as a joke than actual dislike… He didn't deserve a death as bad as that." Irelia muttered as Yi then said, in traditional Ionian, "May he find his path in the afterlife."

"Who did you talk to?" Irelia asked. Before Yi could answer, however, a voice said, "He talked to me."

All of their eyes turned as a Summoner stood at the front door, which was half open. He was wearing black robes with his mantle signifying him as a High Summoner of the Challenger Division. He had medium-length shaggy hair that seemed darker than black, pale white skin and icy blue eyes that seemed to be almost iridescent like it was actually a glacier. He had distinctive black markings under his left eye, comprised of long triangles which surrounded the lower curve of his left eye, most of them bending at the middle to suddenly point to the left.

"Sorry if I'm intruding… The door was open and I had to speak with you." High Summoner Caelum said as everyone straightened up at his presence. "No, not a problem at all, High Summoner, please come in." Irelia said, her tone reverting to the one she used when doing her duty as the Captain of the Guard. Caelum paused as he said, "I hope you don't mind my friend coming in as well? There's a reason for it all." He said as Irelia shook her head dismissively. "No problem at all, please come in."

Caelum nodded and moved in, and behind him followed a blond summoner with greenish blue eyes.

"Summoner Jason?" Akali said, her thoughts clearing for a second when she saw him. He gave her a wry smile as he said, "Hey Akali."

Once the door was closed, Caelum looked at Yi, "Have you told anyone else about what you saw?"

Yi frowned and said, "No, but didn't you? I saw Guards moving in and closing the area off." He said as Caelum waved it off dismissively. "Not what I mean. Did you tell anyone else about Zed's Shadow?"

Silence. And then, "No. You're the first High Summoner I ran into and I told you. You told me to return here so I did." Yi said as Caelum nodded.

"Was it… Was it really Zed's Shadow?" Akali said, her voice a far cry from the strong woman she normally was. It was a voice filled with disbelief and shock, of reluctance to believe the worst was happening. Caelum's cold eyes landed on Akali and they softened.

"There is a lot of things going on that I have been witnessing for a long time. It is time you three know. Akali, because you are the closest person to Zed and perhaps the only one who can help him. Irelia and Yi, because you two are Akali's close friends and can help her. Shen also knows of this, he has been helping me thus far." Caelum said as Irelia spoke up, "Sorry for interrupting, but helping you with what? What's going on?"

"First of all… You cannot, at any cost, tell anyone aside from the people in this room, and Shen, that you saw Zed's Shadow, unless you wish for him to be executed, which will not solve this issue at all, but only make it worse." His words seemed to put a hollow feeling into Akali's stomach as she slowly tried to absorb all of which was happening. Zed… Was really the killer. Her dream suddenly didn't seem like a dream at all anymore.

"The Forbidden Arts that Zed learned long ago were forbidden for a reason." Jason said. "Have you ever heard of… Nisshoku?"

Master Yi stiffened at the name as Irelia's eyes widened slightly, while Akali stayed mute, still feeling numb.

"That's just a story made to scare children." Irelia said as she glanced at Yi, who looked at her. "Isn't it?" She added, suddenly sounding unsure.

"Nisshoku… Or, as he was known in the common tongue, the Killer of the Eclipse. Because his coming would always be announced by an eclipse, whether solar or lunar. The sky would be blotted out by darkness and the shadow would fall upon the world. That was when he would strike." Jason said. "He is the origin of the Forbidden Art of Shadows."

"The stories of him… All the stories saying he murdered entire towns… Entire order of ninjas, samurai… Entire kingdoms… All of them are true?" Irelia said in disbelief.

Caelum nodded. "He made the techniques. The shadows were his minions, the darkness his domain. Towns would be bathed in the shade from the Eclipse. There was no escape. You could never run fast enough, nor could you ever hide. Because your own shadow would be the one to kill you." He said.

"Oh God…" Irelia said, her eyes wide at the revelation and what it implied.

"These techniques, Nisshoku passed down. He became so adept at his skills that he surpassed his humanity, and became a shadow himself. He became the The Forbidden Art itself." Caelum said.

"Luckily, hundreds of years had passed without anyone ever finding the scrolls and reawakening Nisshoku, thanks to Shen's family line, The Eyes of Twilight." Jason said. "Until now."

"So you're saying… That Nisshoku, a legend, is inside Zed?" Master Yi said, his voice dry.

"Not exactly. Nisshoku is Zed, just as your shadow is you." Jason said.

"Zed is immensely powerful. Never before has there been anyone like him who has managed to master the forbidden arts so quickly and even subdue Nisshoku's presence for so long. But that was because his lust for revenge and power, and his hatred of those who denied him was what was keeping Nisshoku's influence underneath him. He was like Nisshoku reincarnated, committing mass murder on a scale of genocide." Caelum said. "But now, as you know, he's changing. His life has taken a drastic change ever since that fateful day where you crossed paths with him on the Fields of Justice, Akali." He said, as everyone's eyes landed on Akali, who was sitting at the back of the bed, her knees pulled up and her arms wrapped around them. Her eyes seemed dull as she looked at Caelum. "So all of this was my fault…" She whispered, her voice giving nothing away as her wall of indifference, perfected by her years of training as a ninja, came in. It was like a defensive measure to keep her from exploding, the emotions inside of her roiling so violently she couldn't even begin to tell what she felt.

"Don't think of it like that." Jason said, a sad expression on his face. "Neither of you could've changed it from happening. Sometimes, our fates are joined in a way we cannot escape from. We do not choose the people we love, Akali." He said.

"Zed's lust for power died down, his fire for vengeance dimmed. He no longer thirsted for blood, for death. And that was the beginning of when he began to lose his grip on his own powers." Caelum said. His left arm came up to support his right elbow as his right hand positioned itself in front of his mouth as he contemplated. "It is entirely possible that this is a progressive issue, influenced by Zed. In his moments of weakness, when his guard is down, this shadow seems to head out. His first kill was Garen, though there was no reason for him to have killed Garen. Which leads me to assume it was the beginning. Nisshoku still doesn't have full grasp over Zed and simply killed randomly. Tonight however, was a very close call." Caelum said.

"What do you mean close call, someone died!" Irelia said, suddenly furious as she almost shouted. "Last time I checked, a death isn't a 'close' call, it's a murder!"

"It's a close call because Teemo wasn't the target of the Shadow." Jason said quietly as Irelia stared at Jason in a lost way, her mouth opening as if she was going to say something, but then closing as she began connecting the dots.

"The target was me." Akali muttered, realizing it as Jason and Caelum looked at her, Caelum's gaze unfathomable while Jason seemed to have sincere concern for her. Irelia looked at Akali, then back at Jason and Caelum.

"Think about it. If Akali hadn't come into the picture, Zed would never have turned from his path of darkness. I have reasons to believe Nisshoku had already tried to take Akali out of the picture once before, long long back."

"My mother…" Akali said, her eyes suddenly widening as her entire life seemed to suddenly shatter and come together at the same time. "I went out that day without telling anyone, and that was the day my mother died… He… Zed said it was a student!"

"It's not his fault, just as all of this is not his fault either. He didn't know his own Shadows were also under the control of something else. But that incident was also another close call. Call it fate or a guardian angel, Akali, but you've been skirting the razor's edge for a long time. That incident led to your departure and hit Zed hard, throwing him back into his own darkness, and thus Nisshoku was sated once more. But again, you returned into his life and he began to turn. And, again, Nisshoku is trying to take you out of the picture." Caelum said.

"Then why aren't I already dead?" Akali asked, raising her head to look at Caelum, her face a mask, no emotions or expressions displayed.

"Because Zed still rules over his shadows. Nisshoku isn't powerful enough yet. He still needs Zed to let his guard down before he can act." Jason said.

"Akali…" Irelia said, looking at Akali with horror on her face. "Your dream…"

"What dream?" Jason asked quickly. "Speaking of which, you need to tell us everything that happened tonight on your end."

Irelia explained the details as Akali simply nodded to confirm certain things, telling them about the dream she had and how she had come here.

"I honestly do believe someone is pulling the strings here now…" Caelum said as his blue eyes focused on Akali. "You should count yourself lucky Akali, you might've died tonight."

"Lucky…?" Akali said, lowering her face as her hair hid her eyes. "The man I love is being forced from behind a veil to kill me and because of me and my selfishness of loving him, other people are dying for me." She said, her flat voice cracking slightly with the force of the suppressed emotions in her straining to break. "I should just go and kill myself and be done with it. I don't need more people to die for me." She said.

"Don't you dare!" Irelia said quickly, her eyes burning as she glared at Akali. "Don't you dare throw your life away like that, Akali. I will not stand by and watch you do that."

"That won't solve the issue, Akali." Caelum said. "If you die, then there's nothing tying Zed to his humanity. He will succumb to the darkness, and this time, there will be genocide. Nisshoku is a being beyond physical means. I doubt even us Summoners can stop him. Zed himself will become a shadow, and he and Nisshoku will merge into one being. And then we will have an unstoppable shadow perfected to kill running free in the world."

"You're the only one who can stop it." Jason said.

"HOW!?" Akali suddenly shouted, her eyes brimming with tears. "TELL ME HOW! PLEASE, JUST TELL ME!" She fell in on herself again as she hugged her knees tighter, tears finally falling from her eyes. "I don't want Zed to suffer like this. Please, I just don't want any more pain… For him or for me… We've suffered too much. I just want an end to this."

"I'm sorry Akali… We don't exactly know how to stop Nisshoku yet. But we do know that you are what ties Zed to his humanity, the part of him that resists Nisshoku's presence. You are his reason to stay alive, to exist, to become better. You need to be at his side and give him strength." Jason said.

"But you cannot tell him about any of this." Caelum said.

"Why not?" Irelia said. "He deserves to know, I mean, his own shadows are killing people!"

"No, I agree." Yi said, who had been silent for so long. Everyone's eyes turned to him. "I don't know Zed that well, but I know enough. Think about it…" He said quietly. "If he found out his own powers were turning on him, that they endangered the one thing he cared about in this world, Akali, what would he do?"

"He'd take his own life in an effort to save Akali… That, or he'd leave her life and go back into his path of blood and shadows, forcing someone to kill him." Caelum said. "That would also be the only way to get rid of Nissshoku as far as we know right now… For Zed to become the killer he was and subdue Nisshoku, before ending his life. Nisshoku would be too starved of power to manifest without Zed."

"We are not doing that." Akali said viciously, her eyes focusing on Caelum with a deadly glare as her muscles tensed, almost as if she was going to pounce on him and kill him right there. "No one is going to try to kill Zed, or I will end them." She said angrily, tears still leaking from her eyes as her maroon eyes burned.

"So we just play around him like nothing is happening?" Irelia asked, sounding defeated.

"You guys can help us try to find a way to banish Nisshoku. Until we find an answer, we cannot do anything except keep Zed in our sights. Akali, you simply need to be beside him. Tonight, your departure and your reactions to him made his guard falter. You need to remind him how much you care about him and, in turn, how much he cares about you." Caelum said as Akali's eyes simply lowered sadly, her hand moving so it was in front of her, palm facing away. The engagement ring Zed had given her glinted on her finger as she stared at it. "I'll do whatever it takes to save him." she said quietly.

* * *

**Such plots! Much suspense! Very Wow!**

**Hope you liked the chapter! If you have any thoughts on the story or just generally wanna tell me if you liked it or not, please take a few seconds to leave a review!**

**Also if you wanna contact me or stay updated on my progress, Feel free to PM me here on Fanfiction or Contact me on my Facebook Page "/WingsSenpai"**

**Just copy paste the stuff inside the quotations after the facebook web address.**

**Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! If it's your birthday today, Happy birthday. If not, Happy birthday anyway. Wingsu Out!**

**~ Wings**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone.**

**So you might be thinking. "TWO UPDATES CONSECUTIVELY BY WINGSU!? WHAT WORLD IS THIS."**

**And there's a reason behind it. A very lengthy and feelsy reason. I'll detail it at the end of the chapter if you wanna read it.**

**Anyway, here's a short update for you guys. Hope you all enjoy it.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 6**

Akali didn't know if she slept that night or not. After the whole thing, High Summoner Caelum and Jason had left, along with Yi who had gone back to his own room to let Akali have some space with Irelia. They had shared the bed, lying next to each other in the comfort of their friendship. Irelia had fallen asleep soon enough, but Akali had lied on the edge of the bed, facing away from her friend, staring blankly at the wall, a thousand thoughts shooting through her mind like a brilliant shower of falling stars.

Morning had arrived quickly and Akali had left Irelia sleeping soundly, leaving with the silence that only a ninja could achieve. She headed back to her own room, pausing at the entrance for a few seconds. She rarely slept in her room these days, though she spent many hours in here, she didn't really stay here like she used to. The Crystallized Jundo Hanabira that Zed had given her sparkled as the morning sunlight bleeding in through the gaps in the blinds covering the windows landed upon it.

After perhaps an hour or so, Akali stepped out of her room, freshly showered to clean the tear tracks off her face from the night before, wearing a pair of simple black pants, a white top with a dark green jacket over it. Winter was coming as the weather was cooling down. Her long dark hair was bound up in it's usual ponytail as she walked down the hallway until she reached Zed's room. She paused for a few moments, before knocking.

There was no answer.

Her heart skipped a beat in fear as she opened the door, looking inside the dark room. Her eyes took a second to adjust to see that Zed was not in the room. Her eyes landed on a small folded piece of paper on the bed. Akali's breath hitched for a second, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was. She walked over and unfolded it, reading the single word written there in his elegantly curving handwriting.

"_Training."_

She released the breath she didn't know she had been holding, relief flooding into her frayed senses to soothe her. She left his room and headed for the one place she knew she'd find him.

…

She stepped into the open sunlight of "Elysium", squinting as her eyes adjusted to the light. As she had expected, she heard the sounds of flesh hitting wood with a distinctive _Thwack _occasionally, somewhere within the room. She walked over to the training area of Elysium, which was circled off by bushes and trees to offer cover within, until she found Zed there. He had 3 wooden dummies placed around him, one in front and two on each side, stuck into the ground, and he was striking it with various motions, ranging from knife-edge strikes, open-palm thrusts, standard punches and various kicks, moving fast and striking each dummy hard.

He paused when she entered the clearing, though she was behind him. He turned his head as he looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, before moving back to training.

"Good morning, Zed." She said tentatively, not really knowing what else to say. Zed stopped again, letting out a deep exhale. "You awoke in fright and cold sweat last night… And you fled from me like I was some kind of monster, without explanation… And now, all you say is… _Good Morning_?" He said, his voice low and sinister, his anger and bitterness evident in the tone.

"I'm sorry I left last night without an explanation. I wasn't in my right mind." She said, her right hand raising up to rub her left arm sheepishly above the elbow as she averted her gaze for a few moments. She felt guilty for having left him like that in the night.

Zed snorted as he went back to striking the dummies. He was wearing a pair of black sweat pants, his bare torso glistening with sweat even in the cold air of the chilly morning, his shirt lying neatly folded nearby. His black hair was pulled back in a ponytail so as not to get in the way.

"Are you going to tell me what last night was about?" He asked, pausing for a moment to say it before returning to his motions.

"I had a bad dream… That's all." She said, not wanting to really think about it.

"Must've been quite the dream." He said, no lack of venom in his voice, which irked Akali slightly. She knew she wasn't in the right for suddenly jumping out and running away from him, but she didn't deserve this kind of hostility.

"Well, I'm sorry if I made you worry." She said, her voice slightly harder, but almost instantly she flinched as Zed's fist slammed into the dummies head infront of him so hard that the neck-joint shattered, the head flying off.

"_Worry?" _He said, his voice dangerously low. "You're sorry that you made me _worry_?" He spat angrily, turning around, his red eyes glowing viciously at her. "Imagine my _worry_ when you leave without a word last night, looking like you'd seen a ghost, and then in the morning I hear about a murder of another champion. The same night you were out, there was a murder." He said, his voice was deadly in its hard tone as he glared at her.

Akali looked at him in slight incredulity. "You think I'm the murderer?" She asked as Zed chuckled darkly, turning around and shaking his head. He then suddenly stopped laughing for a moment, before roaring angrily and punching the dummy to his right, directly in the solar plexus. He hit with enough force to make the wooden torso shatter and splinter. Almost instantly he turned around, spinning to land a reverse heel kick on the head of the last dummy, cracking the wooden neck with a brutal sound as the head spun off and fell to the ground. Akali's hands had found its way in front of her mouth, which was slightly open in horror at his violent outburst

"You really think I'm accusing you?" He spat angrily, his right fist dripping blood from the damage he had inflicted in the last punch. "I spent the entire night in disarray, wondering where you went and what had happened. And in the morning I heard there was a murder. You were out the same night the murderer was out. No, the thought of you being the murderer never crossed my mind because I was too busy thinking about the fact that IT COULD HAVE BEEN YOU THAT WAS KILLED!" He screamed the last part, his rage burning in his eyes as he clenched his fists. His teeth were clenched as he breathed heavily, a flicker of pain and regret passing through his eyes that was seen by Akali, who was still staring at him with horror and remorse.

He turned around, facing away from her. "I should never have let you go out yesterday night. I could never have lived with myself if something had happened to you." He said, his voice low and hoarse due to his prior loud outburst. Akali found herself moving, and then he felt her slender arms coming around him and crossing over his midriff, as her body pressed against his back in a comforting hug.

"I'm sorry… I jumped to the wrong conclusion." She said, her voice cracking slightly as Zed closed his eyes and lowered his face, slowly exhaling a breath, taking comfort in her presence. "You don't need to apologize… I overreacted." He muttered bitterly, regretting his outburst. She probably went through some horrible dream last night and the first thing he did in the morning was shout at her… He felt disgusted with himself.

"I just had a really bad dream… I can't tell you about it, please… Just take my word for it." Akali said, the pain evident in her voice as Zed remained silent, not saying anything. He didn't need her to talk about her dream.

Because he had a very clear idea of what she might've dreamt of.

…

Akali had insisted on taking him to the medical wing first, where she spent 10 minutes patiently cleaning and dressing his cut up hand with fresh bandages, all while Zed stared at her, his crimson gaze filled with the flood of a hundred emotions roiling like the stormy sea.

The rest of the morning was spent pretty much like their usual days. Akali spent her time at Zed's side, always holding his hand, which Zed found slightly odd but didn't question it. He didn't really grip her hand, she just hold onto his loosely. They had breakfast in the cafe, where Irelia and Yi had also joined them. But Zed was no fool. He could see all of the subtle glances they were all giving him, including Akali. As if they were waiting for something… Or were hoping something didn't happen.

He stayed silent, not drawing attention to it. In the afternoon, he had a match to attend. So while he was getting prepared in his room, Akali helped him put on his armor. "I'll be at Shen's room if you need me." Akali said as she helped strap his shoulder armor on while he adjusted his gauntlets.

"Is there a reason for the visit?" He asked in a voice that gave nothing away.

"There are some issues I need to address with him." Akali said flatly, but that didn't work on Zed as he turned around to look at her.

"Akali… What are you not telling me?" He asked, his voice not harsh nor forceful. Infact, it actually had a certain softness to it. His red eyes gazed into Akali's dark ones, which widened infinitesimally as she found herself staring up at him in the way that only he could make her, her lips parting slightly. He was momentarily distracted from the issue at hand himself as he found himself suddenly mesmerized by her.

She then blinked and averted her gaze, before saying, "I can't tell you… You need to trust me on this." She whispered softly as Zed's eyes closed. "You want me to trust you when you won't trust me enough to tell me…" He said, his voice soft yet the back tone carrying the hurt he felt inside. He turned around, reaching for a red ribbon which he promptly tied around his right gauntlet. Akali's eyes were drawn to it and she found her breath being taken away again as she recognized it. It was the ribbon she had used to tie her hair on the Blood Moon festival. It was also the same ribbon that had wrapped around the box which contained the crystallized Jundo Hanabira that Zed had given her. She remembered the first time she saw it wrapped around his gauntlet, back when she had been given the Jundo Hanabira…

_Zed seemed to do something with his hands with his back turned to her as she looked at him. When he turned back around, his right gauntlet had the red ribbon tied around it._

"_What's that?" Akali said with a smile as Zed's eyes raised to hers, the ghost of a smile tracing his lips as he replied, "A reminder."_

"_Of what?" She had asked._

"_Of everything." He had said._

"But it seems I am the fool in question, because even so I continue to trust you." He said in the same low tone as he kept facing away from her, pulling his facemask up. Then he grabbed his helmet and walked to the door, pausing at the threshold to look at her over his shoulder, his red eyes having a rare vulnerability in them that only Akali had ever seen. "Always." He whispered, yet his voice carried over to her stronger than any shout could have. He left her standing there in the room, an inner debate in her mind raging, all of it covered by a veil of shame for having to hide it from Zed.

But it was a sacrifice she had to make… After all, how could she tell him that he was the one who was the danger to her?

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, if you have any suggestions, thoughts or anything you wanna say to me feel free to review.**

**Anyway, the story with me suddenly going on an update spree is because recently I went through perhaps what was one of the most painful heartbreaks of my life. It came as quite a shock as well, mainly because I'm a heartless bastard. Yet even with a hole in my chest, there's something in there that's basically shattered shards of glass, cutting me up every second I breathe.  
I don't blame anyone for it. It just happened and it was pretty much my own delusions, yet again, that led to it.**

**After all, who'd love a monster like me?**

**Nevertheless, I'm simply trying my best to distract myself from the rending brutal pain I'm going through every day, distracting myself from the fact that I have glimpsed life but was thrown back into a bleak existence. So expect a lot of updates from me.**

**And before any of you say it, I'm sorry. But no, I'm not okay. I won't be okay. And you guys don't have to cheer me up, because it won't really do anything. I won't kill myself, no, my schizophrenia is sort of hardwired to keep me alive at any costs.**

**I just want you guys to smile and live life to the fullest, to love every breath you take, to look at the colorful world around you. Take a second to look around you at life, at nature, at everything. Forget about everything that's wrong and just take a second to realize that you're here, in this world, and you're living a life. You're human. You can feel emotions, you can feel happiness, sadness, everything. Each and every one of you are beautiful. It doesn't matter what other people think, you are beautiful to yourself and that's all that matters. That's all that will make Life itself beautiful all around you. Just take a second to realize how lucky you are to have kindness and love in your heart and humanity in your soul.**

**Because you'll never know the value of it until you lose it... Or until you realize you never had it in the first place.**

**So smile for me and live your lives, my dearest readers. **

**Live your lives for those who can't. For those who couldn't.**

**And smile, for those who cannot. For those, who matter.**

**~ Wings**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys.**

**Here's the next chapter of The Shadow Within. I'm sorry if you guys are hoping for an update to my other stories, but I've already figured out the rest of the plot for The Shadow Within, which is why I'm focusing on going through with it first.**

**Hope you like the chapter. Enjoy.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

Chapter 7

Zed's mind was a mess as he stood silently in the summoning chamber along with the other summoners and champions, waiting for everyone involved in the match to come. He waited off to the side, away from everyone else, as usual. But that didn't stop one or two people from approaching usually. Today, a woman approached her.

She had dark raven hair with bangs that covered one eye. Her exposed eye revealed an iris of gold almost as cold as his own eyes were. She had markings similar to Leblanc's under her eye. Her mantle signified her position has a High Summoner of the Challenger Division.

"Hello Zed, so nice to finally meet you. I'll be your summoner this match. I am High Summoner Aranya Averra." She extended her hand to him. Zed glanced down at her extended hand, his red eyes the only thing visible through his helmet as they glowed, before raising his eyes back to her face. "Pleasure to meet you." He said, his voice dripping dark sarcasm as he didn't take her offered hand.

The slight didn't go unnoticed on her as there was a falter in her expression, but it recovered back to her smile nonetheless. She withdrew her hand and simply cocked her head to the side. "I just came over here to tell you something… Or rather, to give you a taste." She said as Zed's red eyes bore into her with the same, flat predatory gaze that would have most people fleeing. Yet she didn't even flinch.

"Of what?" He asked after a sufficient amount of silence had passed.

"Of freedom." She said in a low voice as her smile widened, before she turned around and walked away. Zed simply raised an eyebrow.

…

Shen opened his door and couldn't help but have his surprise show on his face when he saw Akali standing outside.

"Akali?" He asked as Akali looked up at him. She had a distant sort of gaze in her eyes. "We have to talk." She said as Shen nodded after a moment, moving aside for her to enter.

Akali looked around to see that Shen's usually neat and empty room now had many scrolls and books littering the floor all around. "Don't mind the mess. I've just been… busy." Shen said as he walked in around her and gestured to the small tea-table sitting next to the wall. "Have a seat, I was just making some tea." He said, his voice back to the trademark stable tone that Shen always seemed to have.

Akali nodded and sat down upon the cushion in the traditional posture, waiting patiently as Shen brought the the tea and poured both of them a cup. The first sip of it made Akali pause to savor the taste; it was a special blend of lemon herbal tea from the northern parts of Ionia. She couldn't help but sigh in relief at the warm feeling of it going down, spreading its warmth through her body.

"Now, what do you wish to talk about?" Shen asked, as Akali looked at him, only now noticing he looked a bit haggard. There were dark circles under his eyes and a fine layer of stubble covered his lower face like he hadn't shaved in a while. He also looked fatigued, the way his shoulders weren't as naturally straight or the way he simply looked tired.

"What's wrong with you?" Akali asked, concern in her voice as Shen took a sip of tea, a small smile coming onto his lips at that. "I should be asking you that question, Akali." He said, his solemn voice holding the smallest bits of amusement. He put his tea down and his face became serious again as he fixed his golden gaze on her. "I've just been doing a lot of research on the shadow techniques." He said.

"I get that, but you look really bad Shen. Did you even sleep last night?" Akali said, frowning slightly as Shen simply took another sip of tea, not answering her. "Okay, so did you find anything?" Akali asked, giving up on an answer from him. She knew him for a long time, so she knew if he didn't answer something the first time, consecutive attempts wouldn't really work either.

"I think I'm onto something, but I'm not too entirely sure." Shen said seriously as Akali put her tea down again, exhaling through her nose after she had swallowed the sip she took, her maroon eyes serious as she looked back at him.

"I'm thinking… that our way of balance… is flawed." Shen said as Akali seemed to register what he just said after a few seconds. As realization on what he said began to appear on her face, Shen quickly continued, "No I don't mean what you think I mean… Look, there's me, the Eye of Twilight, correct?" Akali nodded. "I'm tasked with keeping the balance of things. Then there's Zed, the Master of Shadows. The shadow masters themselves embody chaos. Zed's my polar opposite, so as to speak. Like a man and his shadow." Shen said as Akali noded again.

"We know all of this already Shen, what are you getting at?" She asked.

"Akali, think about it… Two things cannot make equilibrium. You can have balance, but it will be flawed, imperfect." Shen looked around for a bit then reached over to something on the pile of paper nearby. He then came back up and held up a pen, balancing it on his forefinger. "Two points, at each end. But it's not perfect balance…" He said, as he flicked one end of the pen, causing the pen to start rotating. "There's always been something odd about the number three, even in our teachings. The kinkou has always had 3 heads. The order of Shadow's symbol is a shuriken with three points. The Ionian elder council is governed by three. Three, three, three. Everywhere you look at things, you will find three…"

"What are you pointing at Shen?" Akali asked.

"I'm saying… There's the Eye of Twilight… There's the Master of Shadows… And then there's something else." He said, his voice low, his eyes narrowing.

"That's impossible, if there was something of that sort, the elders would know of it." Akali said.

"Well, a lot of people didn't know about the Forbidden Shadow techniques. Because my clan, the Eye of Twilight, has always been tasked with keeping it safe and hidden… Until Zed found it. So it's entirely possible there is another… Title, another role, to make three. To make the triumvirate."

Akali was quite surprised by the revelation of this, because everything Shen was saying made sense.

"A triangle has always been the epitome of stability. There is nothing more stable than an equilateral triangle." Shen said as he placed his hand up in a symbol. His fingers formed an upside down V, their tips touching, as his thumbs came under and touched, forming a triangle. "This… hand gesture has always been an important gesture." Shen said.

"It's for channeling Chi." Akali said as she looked at it, Shen nodding.

"Chi is all about balance of energy… And this symbol, makes a triangle." He said as he placed his hands down and looked back up at Akali. "All the research I've done on Nisshoku… We know how he rose to power. We know how he reigned. But his demise is sketchy." He said.

"Caelum said he surpassed life itself and became a shadow." Akali said, but she knew the flaw in the story right then and there. "But he never mentioned how or why Nisshoku stopped…" Akali said herself as Shen nodded.

"I believe… There was a third element to this. That third person… Must have been the one to take down Nisshoku, and in the process, must have perished as well. It takes a great amount of power to rival the power that Nisshoku had possessed. Equivalent exchange exists. So if this person exists, if this person was the cause of why Nisshoku was defeated… If this person sealed Nisshoku, there must have been an equivalent exchange. A life for a life, a seal for a seal. Which means the third element is also somewhere, lost and sealed." Shen said.

"That's a lot of Ifs, Shen." Akali said, not being able to keep the smallest of discomfort and concern from leaking into her otherwise flat tone. Because deep inside of her was the doubt that this was a dead end and she'd never be able to free Zed.

"It's a chance I'm willing to take." Shen said as he finished his tea.

"Why?" Akali asked quietly.

"Me and Zed… I don't know if I can ever forget the fact that he killed my father or murdered everyone I ever knew, along with thousands more… But he is still my brother. If there is a chance I can save him from his darkness, I will take it. It's what my father would've wanted." Shen said, before adding, "And what I want."

Akali looked emotional as she stared down at the cup. "Thank you, Shen… You don't have to do so much but you're still doing it for a person who destroyed your life." She said, staring down at the ring sparkling on her finger.

Shen simply nodded solemnly as Akali stood up. "Anyway, I shouldn't keep you… You should get some sleep Shen." Akali said as Shen stood up as well. "I'll sleep when I'm tired." He said as Akali managed a small smile, "Are you not tired?" She asked as Shen returned her smile, "I am, but not enough to sleep yet."

"Goodbye Shen. Contact me as soon as you find something or need help with anything." Akali said as Shen nodded, seeing her off.

The door closed as Shen stood there, his hand upon the door, hearing Akali's footsteps fade as she walked away. And then, there was movement behind him as the door to his bedroom slid open. Shen turned around to see Ahri there, wearing a flowing-white top and a pair of yellow pants as she crossed her arms and looked at Shen. Her yellow eyes, reminiscent of the fox she had been, fixed themselves on Shen in an unfathomable way. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?" Ahri said as Shen didn't answer for a moment, walking back and not looking at Ahri, simply sitting back down at the tea table and pouring himself another cup. "I did." He muttered as Ahri's gaze softened. "Not the whole truth." She said quietly as Shen sipped his drink. "You're not just doing this for Zed… You would've done this for him to help him, but not like this. Not so urgently."

"I'm doing this so urgently because my friend's life is in danger." Shen said darkly, a hint of anger in his voice at Ahri as he downed the rest of the tea in his cup, since it wasn't as hot as it had been before.

Ahri stayed silent as Shen walked over to his desk, where many open books and notebooks lay, his research all written down.

"She's not just a friend Shen… I can feel emotions… You're doing this for her. You still love her." Ahri said, her voice quiet as silence followed her words. Shen simply pulled one of drawers built in the desk open and pulled out the bottle of half-empty whiskey there. "Does a person ever truly stop loving someone?" Shen asked, his voice forlorn as he simply popped the cork and drank heartily from the bottle. Ahri simply looked at him with sadness in her eyes as she answered, "No."

…

Zed was beyond pissed. Summoner Aranya had been purposely forcing him into bad positions and swaying his hands, so he had given away many deaths to the opponents. They were currently pushing into their base and everyone on their team was pissed, since they knew Summoner Aranya was intentionally limiting Zed. Zed seethed as he stood on the healing fountain.

'_Are you ready for the taste of freedom Zed?'_

Her voice spoke in his mind as anger boiled within him. _You better run before the match ends, or I will find you for this disrespect, woman._ He mentally said back to her as Aranya simply laughed. '_Alright… Experience it… Thank me later.' _

And then, suddenly Zed's body flooded with power.

"Woah, Zed, are you okay?" Ezreal asked as he appeared beside him, as he just recalled. "You're… covered in black smoke and your eyes…" As Zed turned to glare at him, Ezreal paled. And then, Zed looked forward as he saw the enemy team approaching their base.

_Kill._

The single thought was the only thing present in his mind as Zed bolted into action, darting forward faster than thought itself. In a fraction of a moment, he was infront of their mid laner, LeBlanc, who only had a split second more to gape at Zed's sudden appearance before Zed moved.

There was a sickening collection of cracks as Zed's fist slammed into Leblanc's chest, caving it in as every single rib shattered. LeBlanc's broken body flew back as everyone stopped to gape at Zed, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Darius was the first to react as he jumped forward, brandishing his battleaxe. The axe passed through Zed as he suddenly turned into a shadow, Darius blinking at the shadow in surprise while as Zed appeared behind him, his eyes glowing vivid red and emitting a trail as he spun around. His blade drew a black line before it reached Darius, after which it drew a crimson trail through the air. With the same spinning motion, Zed landed a reverse heel kick on Darius' head, which sent his upper torso straight off his waist, the legs buckling soon after.

A roar pierced the air as Rengar pounced upon Zed and for a moment, it looked like Rengar had killed Zed. But then, much to everyone's amazement, Rengar uttered sounds of rage and pain as Zed… Zed raised Rengar, who was much larger than him, with one hand, his armblade dug into Rengar's midriff. Zed held Rengar up above him like he weighed nothing, before flinging him at Thresh. The two collided as Zed spun around, his eyes landing upon Ashe, who looked positively afraid.

"Zed, st-" Her voice was cut short as Zed moved like lightning, two of his large shurikens flying through her with little resistance. Her head fell first, back, and then her body fell forward, severed at the thighs. Zed spun around and looked at Thresh and Rengar, who was trying to get back on his feet. Zed zoomed in on them, 5 shadows joining him. It was a bloodbath of blades.

Zed stood, covered in gore and blood, a pile of bodies and body parts all around him as he realized somewhere along the way, his helmet had fallen off. He looked up to see the rest of his team gaping at him in shock, awe and fear. Fear. The look of fear in their eyes seemed to fill a hunger within Zed that he didn't even know he had. He loved the feeling of the warm blood covering him, the way everyone looked at him in fear.

"Zed… What…" Ezreal said as Zed noticed 4 shadows around him, two on either side of himself, standing beside him. Ezreal's glance flicked to his shadows as he then said, "Zed, we're on the same team."

His shadows moved fast. Zed moved faster.

…

Akali was running, running faster than she ever had in her life. She turned the corner and saw Irelia there in full regalia, talking to two guards. She turned around hearing Akali, her eyes widening.

"Akal-"

"Where is he?" Akali said, interrupting Irelia, the urgency prevalent in her eyes.

"He's in there. I'm afraid you can't go into his room, Akali." Irelia said as Akali glared at Irelia. "It's for your own safety Akali, I can't let you go in the-"

"If you cared about me, if you even gave a damn about me Irelia, you'd let me go in and see the man I love." Akali hissed in anger as Irelia's face shifted to display the hurt she felt, indecision in her eyes.

"It's okay Irelia. I'll be there with her." Akali turned around to see Shen behind her, also wearing his usual outfit, his golden eyes unreadable. Irelia's shoulders sagged as she said, "Fine."

The door opened and Irelia led them down into the dungeons. Down and down they went, past the first level and the second, until it was dark and the walls were damp, an echoing resonance in the air due to the depth. They walked down the dingy, dark hallway lined with metal doors, guards saluting them at their posts every few feet.

"Why are there so many guards?" Akali asked as Irelia blanched. "You didn't see what he did, Akali." Irelia answered.

"He didn't do anything, it wasn't his fault!" Akali said angrily. "I know, but we can't find Summoner Aranya. This is mandatory. He'll be free tomorrow. They can't detain him for more than 24 hours without proof of him being responsible." Irelia said as they stopped in front of one of the doors. As Irelia spoke to the guard, who began to unlock the numerous locks on the door, Akali almost trembled with the anger she felt at the vile woman who had put Zed in here. Shen placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to soothe her, but almost as if on reflex, Akali's hand shot up and smacked Shen's hand off. Realizing what she did, Akali glanced at Shen, too angry to apologize at the moment, to see that Shen had an understanding gaze in his eyes as he nodded at her. Akali hadn't seen the hurt flash in his eyes at her reaction, however.

As the door opened and Akali stepped in with Shen, all of her anger seemed to deflate. Zed sat upon the single bench on the other end of the room, facing the doorway, covered in the shadows of the dark room. Only his vivid red eyes were visible aside from his silhouette, glowing as always in their menacing way.

"Zed… Are you okay?" Akali asked as Zed stayed silent, looking at her with his cold gaze. She stepped closer.

"Stay away from me." Zed said in a dark voice laced with danger as Shen reacted instinctively, grabbing Akali. Akali shot Shen a dangerous look, causing Shen to reluctantly withdraw his hand. "No, I won't." Akali said, walking over to Zed. She went down on one knee infront of him to get more on level with him since he was sitting, her hands going up to feel his face.

"I'm here, Zed." She said softly as his eyes focused on her, a deadly gleam in them.

"Shen, get her away from him." Irelia said as she stood at the doorway, not liking this at all. Shen simply gave her a glance, silently saying 'Trust me.' Irelia bit her lips anxiously.

"Did you know?" Zed asked simply as Akali blinked at him. "What do y-"

Shen almost darted forward as Akali choked, Zed's hands upon her neck faster than a snake strike, but he wasn't choking her. Not yet. He held her harshly as he leaned in close, his red eyes burning at her.

"Did. You. Know?" He said, each word emphasized with deadly intent, his predatory eyes fixed upon her eyes, which were wide with fear and surprise.

"Yes." She said, sadness coming into her eyes as his hold on her throat loosened. She had done nothing to fight his grip, her hands had come up to hold onto his arm but they hadn't tried to pry his hand away.

"Is this what you would not tell me?" Zed asked.

"Yes." She answered again, shame crossing on her features.

"Why?" He asked.

"To keep you safe." Akali replied.

"_To keep 'me' safe…"_ Zed responded sarcastically.

"You and I both know what you would do if you knew… You'd leave to keep me safe, despite the fact I would not want you to." Akali said as Zed glared at her.

"Or perhaps… You could've trusted me with it and told me, instead of keeping me in the dark about the fact that I WAS THE ONE TRYING TO KILL YOU!" Zed screamed the last part at her face as Akali winced at his anger, his hands tightening on her neck again, causing her pain, but she willed herself not to gag or choke, holding her breath until his grasp loosened up again. Zed's breaths hissed out through his clenched teeth as anger flooded into him. "Why did you not trust me." He asked with barely suppressed rage.

Akali couldn't answer. _Because they asked me not to tell you. Because it would destroy you. Because I couldn't bring myself to accept it myself._ All of these thoughts went through her mind, but they all paled in comparison to the one thought at her forefront. _I should've told him. _So she simply looked at him helplessly, silent. Zed's eyes seemed to become vulnerable for a second or so, and a strange sort of hopelessness passing through the depths of crimson before they hardened and closed himself off.

"Your silence is all I needed for the answer…" Zed said quietly as he let go of her and drew back on his seat again. "Get out." He spat.

"Zed, I'm sorry, alrigh-"

"Get out."

"I should've trusted you, I should've tol-"

_**Smack.**_

Akali fell backwards as Shen couldn't even react to catch her out of sheer astonishment of the fact that Zed had just done what he just did. Zed's hand, still raised from the backhand he had delivered to her, slowly returned to its previous position. "Get. Out." He said, his words dripping venom. Shen's eyes glowered with anger and Irelia's blades were flying behind her, all of them aimed at Zed, as Akali slowly pushed her face off the ground and turned to look at Zed, a trickle of blood coming out of her cut lip as her cheek stung.

"Zed, I will stay with you here. I won't leave you alone." Akali said, still determined.

"You already have." Zed said quietly. "I let you back into my life… And you turned your back on me once more." He whispered, his voice quieter.

"Zed… I love you… " Akali said, her voice helpless, a look of remorse, shame and sadness on her face.

"I don't." Zed said, and Akali's face suddenly changed, becoming blank with shock. "Not anymore." He added.

Akali didn't remember being pulled upto her feet by Shen, didn't remember being helped back to her room. She didn't feel anything. She couldn't even feel herself breathing. She felt… shattered. Broken. Hours passed and people came and went. Akali lied on her bed.

And in the dark hours of midnight, when she was all alone on her bed, the first tear fell silently.

* * *

**I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to mark with my usual writing. I wrote most of this chapter last night while inebriated. My freakishly high metabolism doesn't allow me to get drunk easy, so the story shouldn't have typos aside from the usual errors because I was technically not drunk, even after drinking for the entire night. I'd do it again if my wallet allowed. Drowning in liquor is simply much better than drowning in self loathing and apathy for living. At least it stops me from thinking too much.**

**If you have any thoughts on the story or spotted a major error/ typo, feel free to leave a review.**

~ Wing


	8. Chapter 8

**Heya dear readers! Wings here.**

**So first off, LEMON WARNING. That's right, there's a lemon in this chapter. I won't spoil which pairing.**

**There's also a lot of violence, but then again, the whole story is basically romance fueled by violence and sex :P**

**So yeah, hope you all enjoy the story.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**Songs used to fuel my motivation for each scene.**

**Scene 1: -****  
Scene 2: -****  
Scene 3: **Give me Love - Ed Sheeran**  
Scene 4: **Koda - Staying (JacM Remix)

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

Chapter 8

Caelum sat at his desk, one hand propped up on its elbow, the hand absently running his fingers through his black hair behind his ear, his other hand splayed upon a book. He wore nothing but a pair of boxers, his pale skin looking almost gray in the dim light, his black hair bedridden. A cigarette idly burned, caught between his lips, an ashtray lying nearby with uncountable stubs. His eyes scanned line after line with frightening speed as he read the book. He took a pause, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and exhaling slowly, the smoke curling up into the air, made visible by the moonlight streaming in through the window against which his desk was. The moonlight being the only source of light in the room, Caelum had no problem using it to read.

A small source of sound closed in on him from behind as Caelum slowly turned his head to the side to glance at Diana approaching him. She had herself wrapped around with the duvet from the bed, hiding her nudity as she came upto him. "Staying up again?" She asked gently as she bent over to rest her head upon his shoulder, Caelum reacting by nuzzling her cheek with his, taking comfort in the warmth emanating from within her night-cooled skin. If he seemed white in the moonlight, Diana seemed positively made of alabaster, like a goddess reborn. Her pale platinum hair seemed white in the light, her silver eyes closing as she made a small noise of contentment at their affectionate exchange.

"I couldn't sleep." He murmured as he took another drag and then stubbed his cigarette into the over-crowded ashtray, blowing out another plume of smoke. "You shouldn't smoke… It's bad for your health." Diana said gently as Caelum snorted. "Everything's bad for your health these days... " He said as Diana smiled.  
"Even me?" She asked softly as Caelum uttered a small sound of amusement, before standing up and turning around, his hands going up to hold Diana's waist as her hands instinctively came up to place themselves on his arms just above his elbows. He leaned in close, their noses touching and their breaths mixing as he answered, "You? You'll be the death of me." His voice was low and husky and a moment passed before they closed the gap and kissed each other. The kiss, however, was short, just a brief burst of passion, before Caelum turned back around.  
"I'm sorry, love. But I need to focus." He said reluctantly as Diana let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Let me help you." Diana asked as Caelum glanced at her. "The tomes I'm reading are… dark. Filled with accounts of blood and death, rituals dark and forbidden." He said as Diana's eyes became steely with that inner strength of hers that he cherished. "I have a history of massacre of my own, Cael… I can handle it." She said as Caelum's icy blue eyes bore into her with their paradoxical gaze of both piercing and soft.

"Alright… What do you know about the Triangle of Balance?" Caelum asked as Diana's eyes focused on his.

…

It was very late into the night. Irelia walked briskly, her guard captain's outfit weighing down on her with it's coldness due to the winter air. Her trusty blade floated behind her, following in her wake. Climbing down the stairs, she approached Zed's cell as the guards saluted her. She walked over to the door and pulled open the slot that allowed her to peer inside. Zed was sitting where he had been sitting all day.

"Hello Zed." Irelia said, no lack of venom in her voice. Zed's red eyes focused on her, glowing in the darkness like the predator he was. Zed stayed silent, staring at Irelia.

"Tell me why?" Irelia said, her anger evident in her voice.

"Why what?" Zed said in a low drawl.  
"Why did you tell Akali you don't love her?" Irelia asked.

"Why not?" Zed simply answered.

"She was trying to help you, you filth!" Irelia shouted angrily as Zed snorted.

"She didn't trust me. Trust is all I wanted." Zed said.

"You knew it would destroy her, why did you tell her?" Irelia hissed.

"Why would I lie to her?" Zed answered.

"You're nothing but a coward…" Irelia said angrily as Zed seemed to momentarily stir at that comment. "Nothing, but a filthy, slimy cowa-"

The door exploded as Irelia was thrown back from the force. She landed on her back, skidding across the floor, but recovered back onto one knee quickly to see Zed standing at the doorway. The two guards lay dead around him, their necks broken.

"Do not call me a coward, Irelia." He said darkly as Irelia's blades rose up behind her, all of them aimed at Zed.

"Zed. Get back in your cell. Do not make me do this." Irelia said.

"You won't do it." Zed said as he took a step forward. There was a flash of metal as one of the blades shot past Zed's face, barely missing him, and stuck into the wall.

"I won't miss on purpose again, Zed. Get back in your cell." Irelia said.

"You won't do it. You care too much." Zed said.

"I don't give a damn about you!" Irelia hissed.

"Oh, not me. You care about what Akali's going to say when she finds out you killed me…" Zed said, stepping closer to Irelia, who stood frozen in place. "And because you still see me as a friend." Zed said as emotions flashed within Irelia's eyes, confirming his words.

"It doesn't matter. You can't escape without your weapons. I won't let you. I don't have to kill you but I can subdue you with my blades." Irelia said fiercely as her blades. "You underestimate me, Irelia." Zed said, his voice as smooth as silk and as deadly as a blade. "But then again, I could beat you in my sleep.

With a cry of anger from her, Irelia's blades suddenly shot towards Zed, spinning and twirling so it was impossible to see how they approached. The blades then shot towards Zed's limbs, but suddenly flew through him as he dispersed into black smoke. Irelia was about to curse, but couldn't even say the first syllable before Zed struck her. His forefinger and middlefinger bent at the second joints while the rest were curled up, he struck Irelia with the points of those two joints on her kidneys. Two specific chi-points. Irelia let out a gasp of pain as she felt her inner power suddenly going dark, as if the power lines had been cut. Her blades, clattered to the floor from their flight as Irelia stumbled forward.

"Hiten Style is a very unique and powerful style, but its weakness is easy if you know it." Zed said as Irelia turned around, about to punch Zed. But Zed's hands went for her throat. He pulled her up, holding her up by her head, his hands on either side of her head, forcing Irelia to hold onto his arms so her entire weight didn't break her neck. And then, Zed's thumbs dug into two specific points under her jaw. Irelia's mind went blazing white with searing hot pain as she screamed, her scream echoing in the dungeons but too far underground for anyone to hear.

"Where are my weapons." Zed asked, letting off the pressure on her pain points so Irelia could speak, but Irelia was too busy taking great gasps of breath, tears and sobs escaping her by sheer reflex from the pain, even though her steel resolve returned moments later. She struggled, trying to pry his hands from her as Zed simply narrowed his eyes and resumed the pressure.

Irelia screamed and screamed until the air ran out of her lungs, a quick breath being drawn in to scream again, her sounds broken by the sobs that escaped. And when the pain suddenly ended again, it felt like she was becoming aware of her senses for the first time, because the pain seemed to have burned away the memory of her ever having senses in the first place. Zed dropped her as Irelia crumpled to the floor in a broken mess, trying hard to stop herself from crying as Zed looked down at her with contempt.

"Where. Are. My weapons?" He asked as Irelia wiped her face, looking up at Zed with fear and… sadness. "Why are you doing this Zed?" She said angrily, her teeth clenched from bitter anger. "We were your friends! Akali is your fiance! Wh-" Irelia's next words were cut short by Zed suddenly kicking her in the chin, throwing her back onto the ground as he teeth slammed into each other, barely missing her tongue. Before she could recover, Zed put his foot down on her right shoulder, leaned down and pulled her right arm up. He grabbed her forefinger and waited until Irelia had a split second of clarity to see what he was about to do before doing it. He pulled her finger viciously, causing it to dislocate at the second joint. Irelia screamed, her voice already hoarse and burning pain came from her finger.

"WHERE ARE MY WEAPONS!?" Zed roared at her, his eyes a burning crimson seeming to burn into Irelia. Without waiting for an answer, Zed grabbed her middle finger and did the same thing, snapping the joint out of place as Irelia screamed again, writhing on the ground. "WHERE!?" He repeated, twisted Irelia's wrist so hard he could feel her ligaments straining and a few tearing, Irelia's scream doubling.

"T-they're... in my room… They're in… my room…" Irelia breathed out in between sobs, her voice a mess from how much she had screamed, no more strength left in her, Zed having reduced her to a pile of broken… human. Zed released her badly damaged hand as he stepped off her shoulder, staring down at her with contempt in his gaze.

"You've… changed Zed… You're becoming… A monster…" Irelia breathed, her voice raspy and thin as Zed turned around, a brief internal conflict rising within his mind. '_No._' He thought, and that ended it.

"I didn't change." Zed said as he began walking away. "I'm simply embracing who I was before, who I'm meant to be." He said as he began climbing the steps.

'_Because heroes never save the ones they love. They save everyone except for the ones they love. No, the world has enough heroes. What it needs is a monster.' _With that thought ringing through his mind, Zed made his walk to Irelia's room.

And to his second destination.

…

Shen's face felt flushed as he drank heartily from the bottle again, before sighing loudly. "I… Shouldn't be doing this. I'm the Eye… of Twilight." Shen's voice was just slightly slurred as he handed the bottle over to Ahri, who sat infront of him, equally drunk. "But I can't handle… the pain without it…"

"And that's why I'm here." Ahri said, her fair cheeks a rosy shade ass she also took a deep swig from the bottle. "So you don't get liver poisoning instead."

"Why… Why do I still feel this way about her?" He muttered bitterly, running a hand through his brown hair. "I… She told me how she felt about me… But I can't bring myself… To stop loving her…" He said as Ahri handed him the bottle, which he took another drink from. "Thank you Ahri… For being here with me in my… troubled time." He muttered as Ahri shrugged. "Don't worry about it… I like being here… You're the only one who doesn't look at me and see my body." She said.

"What do you mean?" Shen asked as Ahri's gaze fell down to the ground. "When you look at me, you see me for who I am… Not what I am." Ahri said as she looked up at him. "What do you see, Shen? I know what people see me as…" Ahri said bitterly, tears suddenly springing up to her eyes. "They see me as a slut… A whore… Just meat for pleasur-" She was stopped as Shen suddenly put his hand on her lips, stopping her as her eyes widened, looking at the focused way his eyes stared into hers.

"You're none of that. You know it and I do too." He said, his voice serious. "You're a person, Ahri, just like the rest of us. Just because you slept with a lot of people doesn't make you any of that, nor does it make you an object." He said, as Ahri stared at him, tears escaping her wide eyes as Shen brushed them aside with his hand. "It just makes you… human."

"You know Shen… I don't think you can bring yourself to stop loving someone." Ahri said softly as one of her hand rose up to hold Shen's hand against her cheek. "But you can move on… And love someone who loves you back." She whispered as Shen's eyes widened. Ahri leaned forward, changing her posture so she was supported by her arms as well as her knees, until her lips finally touched Shen's. The touch was minute, small, but in no way insignificant. It was the briefest of contacts, soft and short, their lips parting as their eyes opened again, looking into each other's eyes like they were seeing each other for the first time in their lives.

Their bated breaths mixed in the air between them for a few more breaths as they tried to absorb all of the emotions burning through each other's eyes until Shen suddenly leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss, which she returned wholeheartedly. All the pain they felt, all the broken emotions seemed to catch fire, burning up into a fire so hot it gave them an unquenchable thirst that they tried to sate with each other. Their hands moved on each other with heated passion, exploring and feeling every curve and line of the other's body, pulling off the measly articles of clothing they wore, all the while pushing and pulling each other into Shen's bedroom and onto the bed.

Nudity brought a whole new level of passion to them, heated skin touching heated skin, electricity passing through every single inch of skin that made contact. Ahri straddled onto Shen as Shen began making love to Ahri's neck with his mouth, small moans coming from Ahri as her ears twitched, her head thrown back to allow him easier access, her eyes closed. Shen moved lower as Ahri's hands ran up and down Shen's back, feeling the hard planes of muscle there, decorated with miniature scars here and there that dotted him like a map. She made another sound of longing as Shen kissed her breasts when she rose up, one of her hand going down to grab his already erect manhood and guide it to her entrance.

When she lowered onto him, Shen groaned loudly, while Ahri bit her lips and uttered a pitiful mewling noise. Her hands rose up his back and to his brown hair as she entangled her slender digits in the shaggy strands, her golden eyes now glowing with her animal instinct as she gazed into his eyes.

"Shen… Take me… Make love to me…" She murmured as Shen's hands caressed her midriff as it rose upto her back, pulling her into a kiss as he caught her lips, Ahri moaning into his mouth as she began to rise up and down, each motion causing waves of pleasure for them both.

Her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades as Ahri had to break the kiss to draw breath. Her entire life was filled with trysts, but none of them could compare to this. Because right now, feeling Shen inside of her, filled her in more ways than one. She felt complete with him. All the men she had mated with was just that… Mating. But this. This was love. This was what she had been searching for all her life.

"Ahri… I-..." Shen began, his voice hitched.

"Me too… Do it…" Ahri cut him off as she breathed shallow, short breaths, feeling his hands placing themselves on her waist as he began to thrust faster into her.  
"Bu-"

"Do it…" She cut him off again, wanting to feel it, to feel it all, to feel all of him inside of her. She brought her face forward, pressing her lips against the top of his shoulder as she felt herself rising like a firework, higher, higher and higher, until she finally felt herself exploding in a radiant, colorful burst, a loud moan ripping itself through her as her body spasmed, her fingers dragging themselves down his back in her ecstasy, her sounds mixing with Shen's moan of release, his climax hitting her as Ahri felt herself being filled completely by his warmth.

The rush from the orgasm was replaced by the rush of endorphins from their aftershocks as Ahri stared down at Shen's neck, her fangs extending, the insane urge to mark him as her mate suddenly becoming prevalent. But she suppressed the feeling down as she rested against him, utterly spent.

"Sleep with me…" Ahri murmured, her voice small and needy as she looked up at him with vulnerable eyes. Shen nodded before gently guiding both of them back to lie down on the bed, Ahri curling up on top of him, nestling her face into his chest. And not another word was spoken as they simply closed their eyes and began falling into sleep, comforted by each other's presence.

…

She was finally asleep. Her tears had dried and her cries had subsided and she had finally fallen into sleep out of exhaustion from the tears and emotional pain. Zed had watched her for the last few hours from the shadows, hidden from her sight, watching her cry and break down completely and utterly, just because of what he had said. Something inside of him felt broken. Something inside of him wanted to go to her and tell her everything was not true, that he still cared for her. That he still loved her.

He stood beside her bed now, looking down at her sleeping form. Her eyes were puffy and her nose was red, her face slightly pale with tear tracks drying on her face. His right hand found its way to her face without him consciously moving it, pushing aside a few stray strands of hair that was sticking to her face with his forefinger, the barest of touches.

She stirred, but did not wake, moving a bit as she shifted into a more comfortable position, exhaling from her nose. Zed simply allowed himself a moment to memorize her face. To sear it into his mind so it scarred him for all eternity, so it would haunt him for the rest of his existence. So he would never forget her, no matter what happened to him.

He wanted so much to tell her right then how much she meant to him. But the path before him was the path he had chosen, the only path he was given.

She had hidden truths from him because she wanted to protect him. And now, he was doing the same.

Akali's eyes opened as soon as she felt a presence, yet as her senses reached out, she saw nor felt nothing except for the barest whispers of wind, like a soft exhale. She looked around her dark room, finding it empty, reaching up to her face. She could've sworn that someone had…

The thought brought too much pain for her and Akali pushed it out of her mind, lying back down and turning on her side to try and drown her pain in her sleep.

Never knowing that her eyes had opened just as the Shadow had left.

* * *

**Welp theres that, plot's reeeeeeeeeeeally picking up right now. Though I know how the plot is gonna go, I still have no estimate to how long the story will go, but I know it has an end. Remember guys, the sign of a good writer isn't the ideas for a story he has, but the knowledge of how to end that story.**

**Which basically means I'm a horrible writer because 90% of stories I write don't have any clear endings xD**

**Anyway, if you liked the story and wanna give your thoughts on it or give me any support you wish to or want to announce your undying love and devotion for yours truly all of a sudden, feel free to do so by leaving a review! It means tons to me (and who knows, you might even get Senpai to notice you xD ) ~**

**~ Wings.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys.**

**Before I let you guys go on to read the chapter, I want to make some points clear.**

**Look guys, no matter how good we write... We're not authors by profession. We're writing this because we love writing, because it's an outlet for our creativity. We're not getting paid nor do you have to pay to read our fiction. We're doing this entirely out of our own desire to write, and publishing it here on this site to share our stories with you.**

**So that in point, you need to remember. We are regular people. We dedicate hours into writing chapters, we pour our hearts into the stories. And we don't get anything except your gratitude and your enjoyment. We do not get paid, we do not demand payment.**

**So please... It's okay to be eager, impatient or downright annoyed by our long update durations. Heck, I was gone for a few months almost half a year. You can express your annoyance or impatience, but please DO NOT demand an update, aggressively or no. Especially on other stories. If you want me to update another story, you can mention it, but do not simply use the review feature to aggressively swear at me to finish one story. There's a fine line between demand and request (sarcastic or friendly jokes not counted), and I implore you not to cross it. Because that will have the EXACT opposite reaction.**

**If you demand an update so aggressively, you'll either piss off the author or dishearten him, or possibly both. I've never been one to really care about being flamed or anything, but I'm not like everyone else. I don't feel emotions as normal people do, so it's impossible to piss me off or remotely hurt me. But I do understand how something can hurt someone else. **

**So please, we understand we can be sucky people with our super long updates. But we're still people, we have lives, jobs, school, whatever. If you really like a story, don't bitch at the Author to update it. Support him or her instead, be encouraging! Give suggestions, typo-corrections, anything to help! That will almost always guarantee a faster update, because it will fuel the motivation to do so.**

**If you read all that, thanks a lot and I hope you'll understand what we writers feel like when someone does something like that. If you didn't read all that, I won't blame you, you're most likely here for the story.**

**So yeah, have fun reading it.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 9**

It was all black. Darkness was all she saw. But she could feel.. She could hear. She could hear the soft intermittent beeping sounds of the machine that tracked her heartbeats. Why was she hooked up to that machine? But she couldn't move. She couldn't even open her eyes. She hear someone take a breath next to her and she tensed, or atleast, tried to. Her body remained slack and unresponsive, as if she was a passenger in her own mind.

"This is how it'll always be, Akali." His voice was slightly hoarse, as if he was exhausted with existence. His voice made her heart skip a beat. She tried to reach out to him, to look at him, to feel him, but she couldn't move. " I am nothing but a shadow… And you are the light that allows me to exist." He went on, his voice filled with a kind of remorse she never thought she'd hear.

She felt his fingers curling onto her ones, which remained stubbornly limp and unresponsive. He gripped her hand in a reassuring fashion, as if to give her strength while bolstering his own. Because Zed sounded… broken. It tore at her heart to hear him like that, even after everything had happened. "By your side… Always and forever." He murmured, as Akali struggled against everything to just… say… something…

…

"Zed." The word left her lips in a low voice as her eyes opened, finding herself not at the hospital, hooked up to machines with Zed beside her, but in her own bed, alone, with the morning light streaming in through the window nearby. It had been a dream. Akali felt herself breaking anew when she realized everything that had happened last night was true. Zed had told her he didn't love her anymore…

She got up and took an ice cold shower, not caring about how bitter cold the water was, especially since winter was approaching. On the contrary, she welcomed the biting edge of its temperature. It was the only thing she could remotely feel at the moment, for everything else felt numb.

Afterward, she dressed silently, thinking of what to do next. She just felt like climbing back into her bed and lying away the days. But then someone knocked on her door, a very rapid number of knocks, almost urgent. She walked over and opened it, finding no one.

"Akali!" Kennen's voice was insistent and urgent as Akali looked down, slightly surprised to see Kennen looking anxious. "Kennen? What's wrong?"

"Oh god Akali, you have to come with me! It's Irelia!"

…

_This was a mistake_.

That was the first thought that went through Shen's mind when he opened his eyes to find himself half-entangled with Ahri, both of them completely nude, Ahri's tails acting like a blanket, wrapped over him and her. Pushing the thought of how incredibly, unexpectedly fluffy Ahri's tails were out of his mind, Shen gently pried himself from her. Ahri made a small, sleepy sound but did not stir. Shen dressed silently, thoughts mulling in his head. He didn't remember much of it due to how much he had drank, but he hadn't been drunk enough to forget everything. He remember most of what had been said and done last night, only didn't remember how much time they had been at it.

"Do you regret it?" Ahri's voice said, not at all groggy as Shen would have expected. He turned around to find her propped up on one elbow, her golden eyes focused on him, her expression unreadable.

"I'm sorry if I woke you." Shen said as Ahri's ears twitched. "My sense of hearing is quite… sensitive. So it wasn't your fault."

The silence stretched between them until Shen finally sighed. "I don't know. I… I feel lighter, as if a weight had been pressing down on me and is finally gone, but I don't know if the circumstances were good." He said, shaking his head.

Ahri's ears twitched again as she blinked at him. "What do you mean?" She asked.  
"Don't get me wrong. I do not… regret last night. Nor did I not mean everything I said last night. I simply regret the fact that I was… that we were intoxicated when it happened." He said, before shaking his head. "And I'm… I'm sorry Ahri, but I'm just very confused… About this, about everything."

"I understand Shen." She said, her voice quiet, but she didn't look sad. She simply gave him a small smile. "You can take all the time you need to sort your feelings out. I can understand if you think last night was a bit too… Fast." Ahri said. Shen stared at her before giving her a small, rare smile. "Thank you Ahri."

There was some urgent knocking at the door as Shen walked over to answer, dressed more appropriately now. When he opened, he was surprised to find a healer there. "Yes?" He asked.

"Sir, there has been an incident last night. You are needed at the medical wing." She said as Shen looked back at the clock, noting the time to be morning. "Alright. I will be there."

…

When the door opened and Akali entered, Yi and Shen were already inside there. Shen was wearing his doctor's coat and uniform while Yi looked pale with worry.

"Glad you could make it." Irelia said, her voice cracked and whispery.

"Irelia, please do not speak. Your vocal chords suffered extensive damage and it's advisable to let them heal." Shen said in his usual monotone voice.

"Screw you Shen, you're not my moth-" Irelia's retort was broken by a bout of coughing which wracked her body as Yi instantly jumped to his feet and was by her side, holding her up as she coughed. She grimaced after it as Shen sighed.

"You are a fierce woman, Irelia, but when your body is in question, you're supposed to support it, not go against it." Shen said as he looked at Akali.

"Tell me." Akali said directly as Shen's eyes flickered before he simply said, "Zed escaped last night. Irelia tried to stop him but Zed overpowered her with his abilities and tortured her for information on his possessions before leaving." Shen said as Akali's insides went ice cold.

"How bad?" Akali simply said, her voice hard.

"It seems he closed off specific chi spots vital for Irelia's Hiten style first before inflicting massive amounts of pain to her through the use of pain points. He dislocated her right hand's forefinger and middle-finger, and sprained her wrist quite badly as well, but there's no lasting injuries. So, all in all, better than it could've been." Shen said, his voice matter-of-factly.

"Easy for you to say…" Irelia muttered as Shen grimaced. "But this also means something far worse." He said as Akali had already realized what Shen as soon as she realized the extent of Irelia's injuries.

"Zed was in control, not Nisshoku… So this was Zed's doing." Akali said, her voice dark. Whatever emotion she felt for Zed before, that was all gone now. Now, she had a dark coiling anger inside of her. "Where is he?"

"He went to Irelia's rooms to pick up his confiscated weapons… But after that, we have no idea of where he went." Shen said as Akali almost trembled with rage. "Akali, you should calm down."

"Yeah Akali… I'm the wounded party in this…" Irelia said, her voice weak, but her eyes resolute. "And I don't… Blame Zed… He could've killed me… But he didn't… I saw it in his eyes, he didn't want to do any of this." Irelia said.

"I'm going to kill him." Akali said with deadly quiet.

"Akal-" Shen started.

"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Akali screamed, tears springing out of her eyes as she fixed Shen with a look full of rage. "I trusted him! We all trusted him and he did this! I… He's beyond everything, Shen…" Akali said, sounding defeated all of a sudden. "He's already fallen into the darkness… And if anyone's going to kill him…" Akali hung her head, her hair hiding her eyes from her friends. Her gaze went from the floor to the ring on her finger, twinkling as if mocking her. " It'll be me." She said, her voice solemn and dark, as she turned around and walked out of the room before anyone could say otherwise.

…

Zed stood outside the small house in the middle of the forest, near a village but out of sight from it due to the trees. This was the house that had been specified. He walked upto it to see the door was slightly ajar. His red eyes glowed from within his helmet as he saw his reflection in the murkey glass the adorned the door. He pushed it open and entered the house.

"I'm in the living room." Her voice drawled as Zed exhaled and walked to the specified room. As soon as he entered, he saw her first and almost on reflex, Zed lunged.

Zed slammed Syndra into the wall and his blade show for her neck, but some unseen force suddenly gripped down on his body, paralyzing him completely, his blade an inch away from Syndra's neck, who looked to be in shock by his sudden attack on her.

"Now now, Zed, I can't have you kill your accomplice." Summoner Aranya said as she walked beside him. Well, Aranya. She wasn't technically a summoner anymore.

"You failed to mention her." Zed said, his every word laced with venom and hatred.

"Yes and I'm sorry about that, but I need you to not kill her." Aranya said. Zed exhaled deeply through his nose, his eyes narrowing at Syndra, who looked anxious and nervous, her eyes staring back at him with a facade of strength. She was afraid, in reality. He could see it in her eyes.

"Fine. I won't kill her." Zed muttered as Aranya smiled. "Splendid." She said, as she waved her hand and dropped the bindings on Zed. Zed held his position, until his blade slowly retracted back into his gauntlet and he lowered his hand. Syndra breathed a sigh of relief, but in the middle of her sigh, Zed suddenly slammed his fist into her stomach, knocking her off her feet for a second while also blowing all the air out of her lungs. Syndra fell to her knees, holding her stomach and coughing violently as Zed contemptuously stared down at her. "I won't kill you, but I won't hesitate to hurt you in ways you cannot comprehend if you so much as look at me wrong. That one, was a warning."

Syndra was about to make a vicious retort when Zed suddenly grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up, off her feet, choking her as her hands suddenly clasped onto his arms. "Give me a reason. I dare you." Zed said, his voice dark and sinister as Syndra managed a small smile at him through her pained expression. "You're… back… to the way you were… I missed… this you…." Syndra gasped as Zed held her for a few more seconds before dropping her to the floor. Turning around, he saw Aranya looking at him with an expression of satisfaction.

"Good, now that we are all here, we can begin discussing our plans… Oh, I almost forgot. First we need to take care of the previous residents of this house. I'm afraid they saw and heard everything." Aranya said as she looked off to one side. Zed followed her gaze as he noticed the family cornered against the wall by her power. There was a man, a woman, and two of their children. A young boy and a younger girl. "Go on Zed, do what you do best." Aranya said, swishing her hand at him as Zed stared at the family. He stepped towards them as the father spoke up, "Please, don't hurt us… Please… We have done nothing… We won't tell please…"

Zed grabbed his face as the man's breath caught in his throat, a cry of horror coming from his wife as she whispered, "Don't look kids look away look away!"

The man spoke, "Helena, I love y-" _**SNAP**_

With a vicious movement, Zed turned and twisted the man's head in one easy, fast flick of his hand, snapping his neck. He never got to finish his sentence as the wife's cries raised in intensity, the children staring widely at the way their father's head lolled.

_"I will be with you Zed, don't worry… You won't lose me. I will always be with you." Akali said gently as she hugged him, pushing her face into his chest._

"_Always." He replied in a whisper, returning her embrace as he pulled her to him._

The memory seemed to flash through his mind and shatter as Zed winced, yet his mask prevented his face from being visible. He moved onto the next, the woman, who was crying yet looked up at him with pleading in her eyes. "Please… Hurt me, kill me, just don't hurt the children… Please, I beg of you…" She whimpered as a new wave of sobbing came over her. Zed tilted his head, a debate going on in his head before he stepped away. The woman stopped crying in surprise, looking at him with new emotion in her eyes. She looked at him with hope.

And that was what he wanted. In one smooth move, Zed stepped forward, his arm shooting forward, punching the boy in the chest so hard his bones audibly cracked, his heart stopping from the sheer impact. The boy made some gagging and rasping noises as he underwent spasms at his sudden fatal injury, but Zed looked at the woman. He saw that light, the light of hope that had lit up when he had stepped away, being utterly extinguished. He had given her hope, and then he had taken it away and shattered it on her face. She didn't even cry as the son stopped moving, instead, looking at Zed.

_"I'm afraid, Akali… Afraid I might hurt you. My mind and body has been trained for killing, not for caring. I don't know how to love." Zed whispered as Akali's hands went from the back of his hair to the back of his neck._

"_Then I'll teach you to love… as you taught me how to kill." Akali said as she pulled him in, Zed hesitating for a fraction of a second before allowing her to draw him in, their lips meeting to share their first ever real kiss._

"Do you… even have… any shred… of humanity…?" The woman asked, silent tears streaming down her face as Zed pulled out a kunai and pressed it against the little girl's throat. "No." He said, before in one smooth move, he sliced her throat open, the crimson smile turning into a waterfall of blood as gurgling sounds erupted.

_"So… Why do you hide the good in you?" Akali asked her as Zed stared into her eyes before closing his eyes and averting his face, unable to look her in the face._

"_Because if I show good… Then people expect good." He said bitterly._

"I don't." He said, as he punched upwards into the mother's chest, his blade shooting out and cutting through her heart as the woman only managed a pained gasp. Her last breath left her with a shudder as she went limp, held up only by the magic that held them up in place. As Zed pulled his blade away and stepped back, he turned around to face his companions. Syndra actually looked… horrified. Revolted, even. Her eyes went from the little girl's corpse upto Zed, meeting his gaze, confusion and horror in her eyes. But Summoner Aranya was smiling with a pleased look on her face.

"Very good Zed… I had a doubt you were simply faking this, but it looks like you truly have taken my offer." Summoner Aranya said.

"Once you gave me a taste of that power, I couldn't resist. It was always my true calling." Zed said in a flat, monotone voice. Aranya smiled again as she waved her had, the binds becoming undone and the bodies behind him falling grotesquely onto the floor, which was pooled with their blood. "Come then, let us discuss in the dining room. The family was such a nice host, they prepared dinner for us." Aranya said as she walked to the specified room. Syndra stared at Zed for a few seconds longer before turning around and following Aranya.

Zed clenched his fist as he raised his right arm. He stared at the red ribbon tied around his gauntlet there as a final memory crossed his mind.

_"What's that?"_

_"A reminder."_

_"Of what?"_

_"Everything."_

With silence as his companion, Zed walked into the dining room to discuss the plans, not looking back at the lives he had taken.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review with your thoughts on the chapter and story in general if you did. If its your birthday today, happy birthday. If you sneezed while reading this, bless you. If you coughed while reading this, you're going to die rip in pepperonis.**

**~ Wings**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone, Wings here with another update.**

**So the story is really picking up here, but first off, I'd like to extend a thanks to all the support. So many people suddenly reviewed and it was a really humbling experience to see so many people who actually like my shit writing xD**

**Anyway, before I start things off; a story suggestion! "Shadow Dogma" by Reiuji. It's a Zed x Akali story that was inspired from a part of my story where Akali dreams of a Void invasion, but it's a completely unique stand-alone story, so I highly recommend it for a great read. Go give that writer some support for an awesome story!**

**Also, a small shout out to a special young woman living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Luna, you will probably never read this or find this. But I want to thank you in public, in front of everyone. You found me while I was at my worst; bitter, resentful and hateful of the world and myself. You found me like that yet you took the time to talk to me, to understand me. You took everything I thought I knew about the world and turned it upside down. You redefined every single motive I lived my life with. You took a broken wreck of a man and hugged him so hard his shards came back together, regardless of how they cut you. If I could, I'd spend every waking moment I could with you, for everything you've done for me and everything you make me feel. I've never lied to you, but I will lie to you one day when I leave you. When I tell you I'll be fine so you can move on with your life and find someone you will love who will love you back. I want to stay with you, I want to keep you, but that'd be selfish. And I'm not a selfish person. I'd much rather you find happiness with an actual human being than to stay with the shadow of a broken shell that is me. It's probably going to be the hardest task of my life to let you go. But I'll live. I always do.**

**Anyway, sappy dedication is over, you guys can get back to reading the story xD**

**BTW, to Guest Reviewer, re-read chapter 9. Zed did kill the little girl. Read the part where he puts the knife to her throat and then slits it. It's a small part, but its there ^^ .**

**Also Lemon (lmao-n) warning.**

**\- Wings**

* * *

**Shadow Within**

**Chapter 10**

It was the dead of night when Akali was standing at the entrance to the Institute. She was wearing a completely black shinobi's outfit, complete with a half-mask that covered the lower part of her face. Around her neck was a red scarf, one of Zed's. It fluttered behind her in the wind.

"Didn't plan to leave without us, did you?" A flat, familiar voice sounded behind her. She turned around to see Shen and Kennen both stepping up. "Shen. Kennen." Akali said, her voice giving nothing away. "Yo!" Kennen said, holding up a V sign with his right hand. They both wore their usual combat outfit. "Save it you two, you can't change my mind." Akali said, as she moreso sensed Shen's twitch of amusement rather than saw it. "I know. Which is why we're simply going to come with you." Before Akali could say anything to them, she saw movement. Behind them two more people came up. Master Yi and Irelia, Irelia with her hand still heavily bandaged. "You two?" Akali said, about to tell them off before Master Yi raised a hand. "Woah, easy there. We're not going. But you couldn't expect us to just let you leave for who-knows how long without a goodbye?" Master Yi said as Irelia walked forward and grabbed Akali in a fierce hug, which caught Akali off guard.

"Come back, alright?" Irelia said. "I'll be really mad if you don't."

It took Akali a moment to slowly raise her arms and return the hug, closing her eyes and allowing herself to sink into the embrace. "I will." She said quietly as Irelia moved away, her eyes holding concern and worry in them.

"I'm going to come with you." Another voice said as they all turned around to see a black hooded figure walk up. He wore black robes with metal armor pieces on it. His right arm was completely covered in white wrappings, and with criss-crossing black belts over it. He pulled his hood down to reveal the stark contrast of ebony hair and alabaster skin. His icy blue eyes were as piercing as ever as he looked at all of them, and Akali had to resist the urge to shiver.

Behind him, Jason and Ellie walked up, both of in casual clothes quite unlike what Caelum was wearing. "You know you need Caelum." Jason said as he glanced at everyone in the group. "You're not just facing Zed and Syndra, you're also facing Aranya Averra, a summoner from the challenger division. You need Caelum. He's the only one out of us three who is trained in battle magic and is strong enough to pull it off. He's also the only one who can handle that bitch."

Akali narrowed her eyes. "I never said I'd let anyone of you come with me." She said, her voice holding the smallest amounts of anger.

"We're not asking." Caelum said, his eyes piercing in their coldness as he pulled out a small box of cigarettes from a pocket. Taking one out and putting it into his mouth, he shoved the cigarette box back into his pocket as the cigarette sparked on its own, lighting up as he took a long drag.

"Akali, we all care about Zed too. We all want to bring him back too, and while we are at it, we also need to stop whatever Aranya has planned." Shen said as Akali almost snarled at him. "I don't want to bring him back, Shen. I want to kill him." She said in a deadly voice. She suddenly threw a bunch of pellets at the ground between them as the pellets exploded into smoke. Everyone began coughing as they fanned the smoke out of their faces.

"Akali!" Shen shouted as he ran forward through the smoke, but when he came out the other side, Akali was gone.

"Let her go." Caelum said in a completely calm voice, his own smoke coming out of his mouth as he pulled out the cigarette to exhale. "We'll meet up soon enough regardless, we're following the same trail." He said as Shen grudgingly agreed, saying nothing but staring off into the vast expanse of trees in front of them with his golden eyes.

…

Most of the town's population stood huddled against a wall in the tavern as Zed, Aranya and Syndra stood on the other side of the room.

"You remember what I told you yesterday, Zed?" She asked. Zed did not move nor reply, staring at the people with cold red eyes. "Your powers are not just limited to shadows. Together with Levensbloed Magier you can do great things. This is a simple trick called compulsion." She said as she pointed a finger at one of the people in the crowd. "You, old man, step up." She said. The old man blanched and shook his head in fear, trying to hide behind the crowd, but everyone else seemed to be trying to get away from him. In a flash of black, a shuriken flew through the air. It seemed to pass through the man without even slowing down, slicing vertically through the left portion of his lower torso. Blood almost instantly erupted out of the wound as the man uttered a pained cry and clutched at his wound, stumbling before hitting a table and falling, dying slowly as he cried for help, yet everyone stared in horror. Some were crying in fear.

"Next person to disobey will die an even more painful death." Zed said emotionlessly as Aranya smiled. She pointed her next finger at another person, a young brunette, who paled, but grit her teeth and stepped forward. "Watch, Zed. And learn. All you need to do, is call upon that power in your blood." She said as she beckoned the girl closer, who obeyed, albeit shakily. "They say eyes are windows to the souls, and that is true. They are one of the easiest ways to maintain a connection." She said as she stepped close to the girl and brushed some of her hair out of her face, causing the girl to tremble and stiffen. "You're a pretty thing, aren't you…" Aranya cooed as the girl breathed very slowly out of fear, trying not to move. "Look into my eyes." Aranya said as the girl hesitated, before obeying.

"Do you have any siblings?" Aranya asked casually.  
"N-No." The girl said. Aranya snorted, before glancing at Zed, before looking directly into the girl's eyes.

"Do you have any siblings?" She asked, her voice dark and laced with power as her pupils contracted. In turn, the girl's pupils dilated as if she was put into a trance. "Yes. A Younger brother." She responded, as if against her will. "Is he in the crowd?" Aranya asked again as the girl nodded, a horrified expression on her face.

"I want you to bring him out." She said as he girl nodded, turning around and walking jerkily back to the crowd, who parted away from her as if she carried the plague. She reached a young boy, about 6 years old, and grabbed his arm, pulling him out of the crowd to Aranya. Aranya grabbed the girl's face again, forcing her to look into her eyes as she said, "Good… Now, I want you to slit his throat, slowly." She said as the girl's eyes widened, tears escaping her eyes. Aranya then shifted, grabbing the child and making him look into her eyes. "You will not move. You will keep telling your sister how much you love her, no matter what." Aranya said as the boy's eyes widened and then glassed over. Meanwhile, the sister had walked to the nearest table to grab the table knife.

"I love you, big sister. I love you, big sister." the boy kept repeating the phrase like a chant as the girl moved far more jerkily than before, as if she was resisting. She was freely crying and making sounds of resistance and effort as she walked to him with her knife. Aranya watched with amusement in her eyes as Zed simply watched the scene in front of him without a single reaction. He did not do anything as the girl began to saw at the boy's throat with the dull knife. He did not do anything when blood began to spurt out of the artery, coating the girl's face. He did not do anything even as the boy made horrid gurgling sounds as he died, forced to keep trying to say the same phrase even as his throat was filled with blood. Syndra had already looked away, unable to look.

Aranya looked back at Zed and smiled. "See? Simple as that. And powerful." She said. The smile fell off her face as soon as Zed's senses picked up the feeling. "We have company." Zed said as they walked to the exit and opened it, stepping out.

Outside, in a circle, stood 5 ninjas in black and red armor. All of them wore similar armor to Zed, except for the one in the center, who stood directly opposite to Zed. She was the only woman, and had black hair that was tied back in a pony tail, almond shaped eyes with glowing red irises just like Zed's and fair skin. For a moment, Zed almost thought it was Akali, but Akali's eyes didn't glow nor were they that red. And the girl, although ionian, looked different. The shape of her face, her nose, her lips, her eyes. She also had a small scar on her top lip, near the left corner of her mouth, as well as a longer scar on the right side of her neck, as if someone had tried to slit her artery open. It took Zed a few moments to recognize her.

"Amaya?" Zed asked, his voice giving nothing away, except for slight surprise. "Master Zed." Amaya said, instantly falling down to one knee and bowing, the other ninjas following her movement in complete sync. "What are you doing here?" Zed asked.

"I called them here." Aranya said behind him as Zed turned his head to look at her. "No doubt the league will have people looking for us, so I called upon your Fist of Shadows to bring herself and the elite to help us." Aranya said as Zed looked back at Amaya. When he had left to join the League, he had left Amaya, his Fist of Shadows and second in command, in charge of the temple. The Fist of Shadows…. A title that he had meant to give Akali with. It made a bitter pang of pain numbly echo within him.

"What are your orders, Zed-sama?" Amaya asked, speaking in Ionian instead of in the Common language. Zed glanced back at the tavern, looking past Syndra and Aranya to look at the doorway.

"Leave no survivors." Zed said in an unfathomable voice as he began walking towards the stables where the town kept their horses, not looking back.

…..

It had been a day since they left the last town. Night had already fallen long before as they had stopped at a small house next to a water mill. The sole occupant, an old man, had already been killed and thrown into the river. Shadow Ninjas prowled the outside of the house as Aranya, Syndra and Zed had rooms all to themselves. The house was spacious, once built for an entire family. Zed sat in his own room, his helmet off. His hair was already growing too long again, reaching past his shoulders at the back.

He sat upon his bed, his legs planted upon the floor, bare feet upon the cold wood. His armor had all been taken off, leaving him barechested, wearing only his pants. He held the red ribbon in his right hand, his eyes staring down at it. At the moment, that red ribbon was all that was holding him to the humanity he had found. This fragile little ribbon was all that tied him to whatever emotions he had developed during his time with Akali. It was all that kept him sane.

There was a knock on his door, Zed glancing up at the door as he flicked his hand, gathering up the ribbon and then placing it under one of his gauntlets in the pile of his armor. "Come in." He said as the door opened, Amaya stepping inside. She closed the door and turned around to face Zed, but even with the doors closed, Zed knew that Aranya was listening. Their rooms were next to each other, so anything they said too loudly, Aranya would hear.. "I have the elites patrolling the house. No one even gets close without them knowing." Amaya said, in Ionian, as Zed nodded. "Good." He said in a low voice, answering in the same language. Amaya just stood there as Zed stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Anything else?" He asked after the silence had stretched.

"I heard about everything that happened at the institute." Amaya said, her voice dropping the chains of her training as they finally sounded more like a person's rather than a monotone drone. Zed's eyebrow raised slightly more as he then said, "And?"

Amaya scowled, anger coming into her voice as she then said, "This was the second time she turned her back on you. She doesn't deserve you nor your attention."

Zed turned around so he faced her completely. It was dark in his room, but their eyes were honed to see in darkness. So Amaya could see the muscular definition on Zed's lean form and Zed could see how her eyes flicked down to admire his torso, a small flush creeping up on her otherwise stoic face.

"What are you saying?" Zed asked, his voice lower.

"I'm saying… Maybe you should stop thinking of her. She obviously doesn't understand you." Amaya said.

"And you do?" Zed said in a deadly whisper.

Amaya raised her face in pride as she said, "I was with you as long as she was, and long after she left. I did not doubt you for a second nor did I ever turn my back on you."

Zed walked up to her, making their height difference very noticeable. She was just an inch shorter than Akali was. Amaya stared up at his face, her eyes drinking in every scar on his visage. A small scar that went vertically down the right corner of his lips, an inch in length. A long scar, around 4 inches, that went diagonally from the right side of his face, over his cheek and then over the bridge of his nose where it ended. Another scar was under his left eye, travelling downwards diagonally from the center of his eye over his left cheekbone. Yet, his eyes were the most dangerous thing about him. A gaze intense enough to shatter any form of composure a person might have.

And then, suddenly, Zed shoved Amaya against a wall hard enough to make a loud noise, and instantly pressed her against it with one hand on her shoulder as he neared her face with his, passing it so his lips were next to her ear. He could hear her heartbeat accelerating. "You don't know the kind of monster I am." Zed said as Amaya took a shaky breath, her own lips next to his ear due to his position, so she whispered back, "Yes I do. I trained myself to become one myself."

Zed inched back slowly until he was face to face with her. And then, he suddenly slammed his lips onto hers, kissing her with a fire that was so passionate, it almost physically burned her. Within seconds, Amaya had lost all the air in her lungs from the desperate moans that flooded all the air into Zed and found her lungs burning with need, yet Zed would not let her go. She raised a hand to push Zed away so she could breathe, but in an instant, Zed's hand grabbed her wrist and slammed it into the wall next to her head, a stab of pain causing her to make another moan. His other hand was already working on removing her clothing as her own other hand aided him. He let go of her finally as she took in a much needed gasp of air, tears stinging her eyes from the near-suffocation as her top was pulled off of her, her small perky breasts jostling from the movement.

Almost instantly, Zed was upon her again, his mouth devouring her neck, kissing, sucking, biting. Amaya couldn't even form coherent thoughts as she gasped, trying to keep her voice down. One of Zed's hands went up and pulled her hair loose of its bindings, the black curtains of hair cascading down to the small of her back freely. Zed then grabbed her and suddenly turned, throwing her onto the bed. As Amaya turned around, Zed was already upon her again, kissing her yet again with a fervor unmatched, his hands grabbing both of her wrists and bringing them above her head, taking hold of both of her wrists with one hand and preventing her from touching him with her hands. He used his other hand to feel her body, to feel every curve and every line.

Their kissing made Amaya lightheaded, as well as from the electricity from Zed's touches. Before she even registered it, their other articles of clothing was off and Zed had suddenly entered her without restrained, thrusting into her and hitting the deepest part of her harsh enough to make her yelp in both pain and pleasure, groaning right after.

Zed didn't make love to her. He ravaged her. He seared every nerve ending on her body with pleasure so blistering white every inch of her body burned like a supernova. She couldn't even make heads or tails of herself, although she was aware she had already climaxed once or twice just from the savage abandon with which Zed used her. He kissed her hard enough to leave hickeys, bit her hard enough to leave marks, his hands gripped her in places hard enough to leave bruises. Amaya's hands struggled against his, driven mad with the desire to touch him, to run her hands over his chiselled body, yet being unable to do so.

When his climax finally hit, it was emphasized by her own shattering climax, which almost sent her out cold right then and there. Gasping heavily, Amaya's entire body ached, many places downright painful, as Zed kissed her harshly again.

"That… that was in… intense…" Amaya said breathlessly as Zed gripped the lower part of her face between his fingers and his thumbs harshly, making her look into his blazing red eyes. "Was? Who said I'm done?" Zed asked, and Amaya blinked as fear began leaking into her mind. The night was far from over and she doubted her ability to be physically fine when daytime came.

It would be a long night.

...

* * *

**That's right ladies, Zed can go alllll night.  
And so can I **( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

**Haha, anyway, if you liked the chapter or story, feel free to follow/favourite to keep up with the updates or leave a review behind with any thoughts or suggestions you might have on it. Good thoughts, bad thoughts, lewd thoughts, thoughts of thoughts, anything. Think of me as your personal thoughtslut. Yeah that's right baby, give it to me, give me allll your thoughts.**

**...**

***Ahems***

**Anyway, have a nice day/night. If it's your birthday, happy birthday. If it's your dog's birthday, get that bitch a cake. If you sneezed while reading this you'll get robbed by a raccoon.**

**kthnxbai**

**~ Wings**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone.**

**Sorry this took so long. My classes just started up in full swing, but that's not why I was delayed.**

**I was delayed because I spent the last few weeks wallowing in depression, brooding and drowning myself in alcohol. I finally found out how to bypass the impossible-to-get-drunk trait of my hypermetabolism. I simply have to drink on an empty stomach. And that is what I have been doing.**

** Why, you ask? Long story, involves me wishing for something and having that wish granted, only for a curse to come with that wish. And only now that I have remembered it and realized that, in the end, nothing matters. Nothing lasts.**

**Anyway, enough broody musings from me, here's the next chapter. We're rapidly approaching the climax and the end of the story! Expect it to end within the next 3-5 chapters.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

Akali had travelled through the day and the night without pause, and even though her body was currently failing her, she still tried to continue. Jumping from one tree to another, and then the next, and then the ne-

Her foot slipped on the branch as Akali uttered a gasp of surprise, quickly managing to grab the branch with her hands as she fell, jerking to a stop with a long fall below her.

She sighed heavily before pulling herself up onto the branch.

"You know, you'll tucker yourself out if you keep this up and then you'll hurt yourself." A voice said as Akali sighed again, before turning around to see Shen standing on the tree behind her, with Kennen clinging to his back, looking over his shoulder and flashing a paw at Akali when she looked with a small shout of "Yo!"

"How'd you find me and get here so fast, Shen?" Akali asked.

"Map awareness is what I do." Shen said simply and cryptically as Akali glowered at him.  
"Where's the Summoner?" She asked.

"He insisted on travelling his own path and said he'll meet up with us when we stop, which we probably should." He said, as he looked up at the setting sun. "You've been at it non-stop for almost two days."

"I can't stop." Akali said through gritted teeth as she turned around again. "He's out there, somewhere, doing who knows what. And I'm the only one who can stop him."

"Well, before you jump off again, you should note that Irelia mentioned that the institute's supply rooms were also raided. Meaning Zed, Aranya and Syndra probably have some of the institute's magical items on them, mostly potions. They don't know what items were taken, however." Shen said as Akali stayed silent.

"There's a town up ahead." Akali said, before jumping forward onto the next tree, not looking back. Shen sighed and followed.

…

Jason closed the book with a big sigh as he then said, "Anything in this book about Nisshoku isn't anything new." Jason said, slightly grumpy as he stood up, turning around to look at his couch. Ellie was sitting on the lap of Kha'zix, who, even in his human form, seemed to unnerve Jason. She was curled up, leaning back against her boyfriend as she read a tome that looked like it could've been as heavy as she was, while Kha'zix simply lounged against the couch, his head thrown back, eyes closed and covered by his purple hair.

"Yeah, there's only a whole bunch of death and destruction here as well, nothing about how to stop him." Ellie said, raising a hand absently to push away a few strands of her golden hair which had fallen in front of her eyes. Her voice made Kha'zix stir as the Reaver raised his head, his eyes opening to reveal bright green pupils with slit-pupils, but disappearing from view just as fast as he buried his head on Ellie's neck and, judging from how Ellie gasped and blushed, was probably doing things Jason didn't want to think of.

"Kha'zix, please no intimate things in front of me, it's really awkward." Jason said as Kha'zix raised his head and lazily stared at Jason. "I'll remember that when I… What's the saying… Ah yes… Give a fuck." Kha'zix muttered in a drawl, the 'S' sounds pulled out like a hiss. Ellie simply blushed and tried to bury her face in the book, her breath making another audible hitch as Kha'zix resumed his nibbling of her neck.

Jason groaned and turned away, when there was a knock on the door. "Come in, it's open." Jason said, the door opening as Diana walked in. "Oh hello Diana, what's up?" Jason asked as he frowned questioningly.

"I found something that could help." Diana said, a small smile on her face, obviously proud of herself. "Really now?" Jason asked as he followed Diana to the desk, where she plopped down a book. Ellie got off of Kha'zix and quickly got over to the desk as well, as she and Jason stood on either side of the Lunari as she opened the page she had marked.

"Caelum was right. There was a third element to the issue." Diana said as she pointed at the text. " Here, it reads; _And though Order and Chaos were the ideal way to balance each other, it was not an infallible path. And thus, a third order existed. An order which produced a singular entity to form the trinity of balance. There was the Eye of Twilight, who stood for Order. There was the Master of Shadows, who stood for Chaos. And the third, stood for Balance itself, and as such, was adept at both the arts of Order and Chaos. When one aspect far exceeded its opposite, this Third would intervene to ensure that balance remained."_

There was a strained silence after Diana had finished reading. "Jason… Do you realize what this means…" Ellie asked quietly, her eyes wide in shock as Jason stared down at the text.

"Yes… One who is adept at both the arts. Disciple of both, master of neither." Jason muttered as he looked at Ellie. "We need to let Caelum know." He said grimly.

…

"Oh god…" Was all that Akali could mutter when she witnessed the massacre. When they reached the town, it seemed empty. Maybe there weren't many people? But when she had stepped into the inn, she staggered and had to lean on the wall to prevent herself from falling. Shen walked past her into the inn, looking around at the massacre with a grim expression, though it was hidden by his mask. Kennen got off of his back, looking around, looking like he would be sick.

It was a literal bloodbath. People were lying dead everywhere, the entire floor covered in a pool of blood, slightly congealed. People had their throats cut, their bodies slashed up, limbs dismembered. Men, women, children, elders. Everyone in the town lied dead here.

"I can't believe Zed would actually do this." Akali said, her voice sounding hollow.

"Did you forget the mass genocide he committed before the league?" Shen asked, his voice cold. Then he sighed, before saying, "I had hoped to believe… That he had truly changed."

And then, suddenly, there was a flash of movement. "AKALI, WATCH OUT!" Kennen shouted as he dove, tackling someone who had flung herself at Akali. Both of them collided against the wall as the girl fell, a knife clattering out of her hand. She quickly shoved Kennen away and grabbed the knife, lunging at the nearest person, who was Shen. Shen was so stunned by the events that he reacted late. He moved just as the knife meant for his chest dug into his shoulder, but didn't get deep enough as the girl slammed into him.

"YOU MONSTERS!" She screamed as Shen quickly grabbed one of her hands and did a maneuver to place him behind her, twisting her arm back and holding her there. "YOU KILLED EVERYONE YOU MONSTERS!" She broke down into sobs as Akali and Kennen stared at her. She seemed to have brown hair, although most of her hair, along with most of her body, was stained with so much blood. The door suddenly opened behind them as Akali and Kennen whipped around, about to draw weapons but stopping when they saw it was none other than Ahri.

"Ahri?" Shen said in surprise as Ahri briskly walked over to the girl. "Hey, calm down. It's alright… It wasn't them…" Ahri said, staring directly at the girl. Her ability, charm-speak, washed over everyone with a wave of soothing as the girl slowly untensed and relaxed. "Let go of her, Shen." Ahri said quietly as Shen complied, Ahri taking the girl and leading her to a chair as the girl continued to cry softly.

"They came and got everyone in the town here... " The girl manage to say between soft whimpers. "And then he killed Roger… Roger used to buy me bread every monday…" The girl almost cried more as she glanced at the body of a dead old man. "And then… She… The woman… Oh god, she made me kill my own little brother." She broke into another fresh bout of sobbing as Caelum walked in through the door at that moment. "... I see… This is why the town is empty." Caelum said, his icy blue eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the massacre. "Kennen, can you take this girl to her home?" Ahri asked gently as Kennen nodded, jumping up and taking his mask and hood off so as not to scare the girl with his anonimity.

"Hey, show me where you live, I'll take you there…" Kennen said, for once gentle and not-energetic as Ahri looked at Shen. "I'll explain everything, but first we need to treat that wound. Come on." Ahri said as she pulled Shen outside. Akali walked over to the end of the room, staring at the wall.

"Did you find anything?" Caelum asked.

"No." Akali said, as she extracted the black Shuriken from the wall and slid it into her sash. "I think I'll look around, to see if I can find any clues in the town." She said as she turned around, walking past Caelum, who remained standing in the middle of the bloody room.

…

They had left before the sun had even risen that night. Amaya did not speak to anyone and stayed on her horse silently, obviously sore. Zed rode at the fore-front, his red eyes glowing even in the bright light of morning. "Stop. We're here." Aranya said as everyone complied, stopping and stepping off of their mounts. "This way." She spoke as they began to walk off the path into the forest.

"We reach the temple and then what? We just put our artefacts together and summon the portal?" Syndra asked as Aranya nodded. "Yes. Normally it wouldn't be possible but thanks to Zed, we have the artefacts necessary." She said with a grin on her face.

Zed narrowed his eyes. He had brought the artefacts… But he had brought more than the ones she had requested. Aranya thought she was in power, but in reality, Zed would be the one to wrest control and take over. Soon. He had to bide his time for now. The stunt he pulled with Amaya last night had removed any doubts of him in Aranya's mind. It had also removed any chance of Zed faltering and turning. Now, only bloodshed awaited him.

They reached the clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a ruin, a cracked and aged circle with runes engraved, similar to the summoning platforms.

"This should take us straight to Ionia, into the Temple of Tranquility." Aranya said, grinning as Syndra snorted, a smirk on her face, obviously pleased to be going back home. "Ready to go back home, Zed?" She asked snidely as Zed glanced at her with his dangerous crimson glare.

"I have no home." He said in a dangerous voice.

"Your home is with us." Amaya said as she walked upto him and extended a hand to place on his shoulder to reassure him.

There was a crack like thunder as Zed backhanded her so hard she almost flew a few feet away before falling to the ground. "Do not step ahead of yourself, Fist of Shadows, just because we shared a bed last night. You are nothing to me, nothing more than an instrument for me to use, whether it be to cause pain on others or pleasure for me." He said viciously as Amaya looked at him with hurt flashing in her dark eyes, before she lowered her head submissively. "Yes, master. Apologies." She answered in Ionian. The four other shadow shinobi remained silent, although they glanced at each other uneasily. Zed allowed himself to savor the fear before turning back around.

"Step onto the platform and let us be on our way." Aranya said as she gestured to the ruin.

…

Ahri stepped out of the room as Shen stood up. "She's fine. I've seen to it. She'll move to the Institute after we leave." Ahri said as Shen let out a slow exhale of relief. "Now sit down and take off your shirt." She said as Shen looked at her.

"Why?" He asked.

"What do you mean why? You're hurt." Ahri said curtly as she looked around in the cupboards until she found medical supplies.

"Not until you tell me what you're doing here. And my wound isn't that bad." Shen said, his golden eyes resolute. Ahri turned around, her own golden gaze matching his in a battle of will as one of her ears twitched. "I'll tell you about it while I clean that wound. You have experience as a doctor, Shen, you should know the dangers of an infection." She said as Shen sighed, defeated. He began to undo his mask as Ahri washed the rag with alcohol. When she turned around, Shen was pulling his dark tunic off over his head, his brown hair falling over his forehead as he looked up at her with those dark eyes of his, the golden glow of his powers fading to reveal the brown depth.

The cut was about a few inches deep and still bleeding as Ahri shook her head. "You couldn't expect to go on a life threatening journey without me, now could you?" She said. "How did you find us?" Shen asked, clenching his muscles and silently hissing in pain as she dabbed the alcohol soaked rag at his shoulder.

One of her ears twitched as she simply said, "I followed you. As noiseless as you ninjas are, I have more senses than just my sight and hearing."

"Yes, but why follow us?" Shen asked as Ahri frowned, "Why not?"

"We aren't going on a picnic, Ahri. This isn't something you can handle. We're going to be facing three of the most dangerous people in the world, armed with powers far beyond your com-" Shen could not finish, because right at that moment, Ahri suddenly slammed her lips onto his, silencing him with a kiss. Shen couldn't help but feel himself sink into the feeling of her warm lips on his, the aromantic scent wafting from her skin, intoxicating in it's subtlety, and the taste of sweetness that invaded his mouth from hers. Even if it was just a lip-on-lip kiss, it was like a breath of life.

As she drew away slowly, her eyes were large and vulnerable as they stared at him. "Does that answer your question?" She asked quietly as Shen felt a small flicker of shame. "I'm sorry." He muttered as Ahri shook her head, "Don't be." She replied as Shen put a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him again. "But for what it's worth, I'm glad you're here." He said as a pink tinge came onto Ahri's cheeks. Ahri could do atrociously sinful acts of lust and sexuality without the slightest of hesitations, but this… This kind of raw, sincere expression like what Shen said… It was such a foreign concept that it made her blush. She could only nod mutely.

There was a knock on the door as Kennen's voice shouted from outside, "Shen, Ahri, hurry up! We're leaving soon!"

With one last shared look, Ahri did a final motion to clean the blood off his wound before taking the rag over to the sink, while Shen got to putting his top and mask back on.

…

They travelled for a few more hours until the sun had began to set. Caelum suddenly raised a hand in the middle of the path. "Wait." He looked around, before pointing towards the trees off the road. "There. I sense lingering energy." He muttered, but as they began to walk towards the area he had pointed in, everyone stopped.

"Someone's coming." Ahri said, her ears twitching as everyone else looked around, already knowing that someone was coming. They looked back at the road they had come from and saw a rapidly approaching shape.

Within moments, the shape neared and revealed itself to be none other than Master Yi. He skidded to a halt, his feet smoking with heat as he gasped. "Thank… The Elders… I caught up… With you… In time…" Yi said as everyone stared at him in shock.

"Yi, how the hell did you get here so fast?" Ahri said what everyone was thinking as Yi gave them a grin, pointing down to his feet. "Summoner Jason was kind enough to help with the enchantment that allowed me to run much, much faster. I did make a lot of noise, however." He said as he shook his head, clearing his head. "Anyway, that's not the point. Listen, I have news." He said, looking at Caelum. "Diana found a key point. You were right, High Summoner Caelum. There was a third element to the story."

"That's my girl…" Caelum muttered in a low voice, pride in his tone as he crossed his arms. "Well, lets hear it then."

It took some time, but by the time Yi was done, everyone was still absorbing the information. Caelum leaned against a tree, a cigarette held at his lips, the end glowing with embers. Shen had his arms crossed, although one arm was raised to place the hand infront of his masked mouth, deep in thought. Ahri kept glancing at everyone, unsure of what to think or say. Kennen, as energetic as usual, was lying on the ground, throwing his Shuriken up into the air and catching it, although he had heard every single word. Akali was just standing with her face lowered, her bangs hiding her face.

"So it's like I said… I have to be the one to kill him." She said, her fists clenching. No one said anything. "Apparently so." Caelum said, his tone flat as usual, almost as if he couldn't care less.

"But that doesn't mean you have to fight him alone." Shen said.

"Yes I do." Akali said.

"No, Ak-"  
"Shen… Listen to me and listen closely…" Akali said in a deadly quiet voice. "If you get in my way… I don't care who you are… I don't care how many years we've been best friends… If you try to interfere." Akali slowly raised her face, revealing her eyes to be dull. Lifeless. Like something inside of her had broken, leaving her as an empty shell. "I will kill you." She said.

Her words hung in the air as Caelum exhaled a cloud of smoke, throwing the cigarette down and stepping on it to extinguish it. "Alright, we've heard all we need to. Now we need to get there and stop Aranya from doing whatever it is she's trying to do… I have a suspicion, but I'm hoping even Aranya isn't crazy enough to do it." He said.

"What do you think she'll do?" Ahri asked.

"If it's what I think it is… We don't have much time." Caelum said, his icy blue eyes darkening as they all got moving, following him into the trees, and then into the clearing where the ruins were. A half-ruined circular platform was in the middle of the ruins. "This should take us to where they went. I can link up with the trail they left and follow." Caelum said as Shen glanced at Akali.

"Akali... " He said in a quiet voice. "Are you alright…?" He asked.

"Honestly…" Akali whispered back, audible to only Shen. "No… I'm not. And I never will be after this night."

Shen couldn't find any word that would be adequate enough for the situation, so he remained silent, watching his dearest friend solemnly step up onto the platform to accomplish her task. A task so cruel that not even the elders would have ordered it.

Akali was about to sacrifice all of her happiness and her future. And Shen could do nothing but accept it.

* * *

**Have you ever tasted love? Have you ever experienced it? Love isn't just hugs and kisses, or sex and lust. Love is trust and faith. There are many stages of Love. But do you know the deepest stage? ****It's where you are prepared to sacrifice everything for the person you love. Including your own happiness or well-being. Even if you must make that person hate you. If you love her, then you let her go. That's the saying, no?**

**I hope you guys never have to experience this deepest stage of Love in the form I have. Ignorance is bliss, after all.**

**If you liked this chapter or story, please follow/favourite it to keep up with the updates or leave a review with any thoughts, compliments, complaints or suggestions. Any word from you guys is awesome for me.**

**I hope you all have a good day/night. If it's your birthday, happy birthday. If you sneezed while reading this, you'll receive a pleasant surprise in the next hour. If your dog shat out an egg while reading this, take that dog to a doctor.**

**And finally;**

**Live a life worth living, dearest readers. And don't be afraid to love.**

**~ Wings**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone.**

**Not much to say. Not in the mood to say anything. I'm just utterly feeling crushed right now so I have nothing on my mind.**

**Enjoy the story.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 12**

"Alright, everyone get into a circle." Caelum said as he stepped onto the platform. Everyone complied as they formed a loose circle around the center of the platform. "I'm going to link myself with all of you now." Caelum said as he reached out with his power and formed links on everyone. He could feel their heartbeats, their life forces, thei-

Caelum gasped, staggering as everyone's heads whipped to him, looking at him. Caelum stared wide-eyed at Akali, for once his mask of indifference gone, his face full of shock and surprise, his icy blue eyes wide. Akali looked back at him, confusion on her face, before realization crossed through her eyes and her face became grim. She gave a very minute shake of her head, a clear signal, as Caelum blinked, staring at her. His shock faded away, pain and understanding flashing in his gaze as he straightened up.

"What's wrong, Summoner?" Shen asked, glancing at Akali, who had schooled her features into a flat expression again.

"N… Nothing… I just… I forgot Akali also knew the Shadow Techniques. That's all." Caelum said as he continued looking at Akali, his face still holding signs of sorrow. He linked himself with everyone again as he then said, "Alright… Is everyone ready? This might be nauseating." He said.

Akali glanced around at everyone. At Summoner Caelum, at Shen, Kennen, Ahri. And then, the world suddenly imploded around her.

…

Her legs buckled as her feet hit the ground, Akali stumbling forward as they warped into existence. She was disorientated, and judging from the groans around her, everyone else was as well. Only Caelum remained standing, the tail of his coat flying in the wind. Akali looked around to see that she was on the landing on a temple… An Ionian Temple.

"The Temple of Tranquility. I should've known." Caelum said as he looked around. Above, storm clouds were spiraling, as if a hurricane was about to form ontop of them. Thunder boomed as the dim lighting made the abandoned temple look haunted.

"This is the temple which was Syndra's home, isn't it?" Shen asked, looking around as he recognized it.

"Yes. It still is, but most of it is abandoned and ruined. Their energy trail led here, so watch your backs." Caelum said, but Akali had already begun moving. Akali didn't look back but she knew they were following.

After the entrance to the temple, it opened up to a great open courtyard. As they got to the middle, there was sudden whispering sound.

Suddenly, the shadows around them seemed to come to life. Akali drew her kamas instantly as Shen and Kennen drew their weapons, instantly taking positions around her. Caelum simply stood off to the side, rummaging around his pockets lazily like he didn't have a care in the world, while Ahri stood close to the three ninjas, looking around cautiously, her ears perked up on full alert, a ball of energy forming in her hand.

"Shadow Ninjas." Shen said, his tone laced with anger as nearly 50 ninjas stood all around them.

"We cannot let you pass, The Fist of Shadows have ordered us to kill you." One of the shadow ninjas said, but the voice seemed to echo all around them, so it was impossible to pin point who said it. Red eyes glared at them from every angle. "Shen, what's the plan? There's too many." Kennen said in a low, urgent voice, as he held a shuriken up with one hand, a kunai in his other.

"Fifty shadow ninjas?" Caelum's cold voice said as Caelum extracted a box of cigarettes. "Really? I thought Aranya wasn't stupid enough to underestimate me." He said.

"Aranya did not send us. We are the Shadow Clan. We follow Zed, the master. We follow Amaya, his right hand." The ninjas said, again, the voice impossible to direct from. Akali felt a surge of anger at whoever this Amaya was, as she had taken the title that was meant for Akali, even if Akali had turned her back on it.

"Ah, that explains it…" Caelum said with a small smirk as he put the cigarette to his lips. "Because I doubt Aranya would underestimate the one who taught her everything she knows." He said. There was a small hiss of sound as his cigarette suddenly ignited… And then the world around them exploded into a conflagration of colors. Fires raged as the very air around them seemed to ignite into flames, every single shadow ninja instantly catching fire and becoming nothing more than fuel for the inferno. Screams permeated the air, for once all fifty voices separate in their own agonies. There seemed to be a barrier around them, as Akali did not even feel the heat. But she watched in awe and fear as the fire, which was so intense it was hard to look at, seemed to melt away every ninja within seconds. And then, suddenly, the fires died away, leaving nothing but charred husks of ash and burnt flesh. Shen, Kennen, Akali and Ahri stared at Caelum in awe and fear.

"I had heard rumors of your skill in pyromancy… I see they were not false." Shen said in an uneasy tone as Caelum took the cigarette out of his mouth, holding it in between his forefinger and middle finger as he exhaled smoke.

"Summoners were the cause of the Rune Wars, Shen. We were almost the cause of the world itself being torn apart by our magics. You'd be surprised at how powerful summoners are… I didn't just get my appointment as a High Summoner for nothing." Caelum said as his icy blue eyes, almost opposite to the bright orange fires that had burned around them, stared directly ahead.

"But Aranya is similar in strength to me… So do not engage her at any cost. Leave her to me." Caelum said as Shen nodded. Akali looked around at the corpses, wondering how many people she might have known here from her time back when she was Zed's student.

But now was not the time to linger as they moved forward, climbing the steps and reaching the main temple building.

It was a huge building, and they had to go deep within, walking long. Every so often, thunder rumbled above and the grounds and walls seemed to shake.

"I feel energies." Ahri said uneasily as her ears twitched. "Dark, dark energies."

"Aranya is starting." Caelum said. "We have to hurry."

They came upon a grand pair of doors. With a final moment of preparation, they entered.

It was easily the largest room they had ever been in. The main room of the temple. The ceiling was broken, and the spiral of clouds was centered at this exact point. Wind whipped around them, as well as rain, as a large spherical darkness writhed in the air above them. Underneath, 4 figures stood.

"Caelum! I'm so glad you could make it!" Summoner Aranya said as she stepped forward, raising her hands to her sides as if welcoming him.

"Aranya, you fool. What have you done!?" Caelum said, horror in his voice as he looked up at the growing ball of darkness.

"I have used the artefacts of power! The Void staff, the Catalyst Stone, the Rod of Ages! They allowed me to harness the power to summon a portal into the Void! I shall reign as queen over Valoran!" Aranya said, laughing in a triumphant way as Caelum stepped up. Syndra floated next to her as she grinned at Akali, who simply glared back at her. Akali's eyes then moved to another woman, who wore similar armor as the Shadow ninjas, but with a red band around her right fist. The fist of Shadows. That girl was looking at Akali like she wanted nothing more than to kill her. And behind them…

Akali felt the wind quieting around her as her eyes met the red glare of Zed. Zed stared at her emotionlessly as Akali took his image in. He was wearing his full battle regalia. Something gold seemed to around him, like an aura, but it disappeared when she blinked. A trick of the light, as colors were being distorted all around them due to the portal.

"I'll take Queen bitch." Ahri said as she glared at Syndra, while Shen and Kennen nodded. "We'll take on Zed and his ri-"

"No." Akali interrupted as Shen looked at her, frustration in his eyes. "Akali, you ca-"

"I said No, Shen. You take that woman. I'll take Zed by myself."

"Uh guys, I hate to be a party pooper but…" Kennen said as he pointed up at the sky. Something large was writhing within the confines of the sphere. And then, suddenly, it exploded out and landed in the ground between them. It stood up, vaguely humanoid, yet easily 8 foot tall. A purple exoskeleton glistened on it's strong limbs, as black-as-obsidian claws gleamed in the dim light. Its eyes were bright green and its face was split in half by its teeth, the lack of lips giving it a permanent grin of fangs.

"The first of the creatures emerges!" Aranya said as she pointed at the Ninjas. "I command you, kill those wretched Ionians!"

Whether the beast listened to her order or not was impossible to say, but it began to lumber towards them.

"New plan?" Kennen asked urgently.

"No plan, just fight!" Shen said as the Beast roared and lunged at them.

They scattered as Akali jumped away. Instantly, a shadow was upon her. She raised her Kamas and caught the blade of a ninjato as her maroon eyes met the glowing red eyes of Amaya.

"You-" Akali said viciously as the girl suddenly spun around and launched a kick at her head. Akali crouched under it and rolled back into a standing position, almost instantly having to raise her blades again as the woman charged her again, her shape hard to discern due to her smoking at the edges. Her shadow powers.

"You're Akali? I expected so much more." Amaya said viciously as she shoved Akali back with her blade before spinning around and throwing a shuriken at her. Akali threw one of her kamas up in to the air, spun around and, with her momentum, caught the shuriken out of the air before throwing it back at Amaya and catching her kama again as it fell, but the shuriken passed through Amaya, who was nothing more than a black shadow now.

Akali yelped in pain as she was suddenly kicked from behind, having to do a front flip, spinning in mid air, to face Amaya again, who stood behind her now.

"You can't beat me, _Akali_." Amaya said, saying her name with venom. "I'm the Fist of Shadows, a position you could not attain. I know the shadow techniques." Akali simply narrowed her eyes and raised her kama as Amaya ran at her again.

Shen jumped high into the air as the void beast crashed his hand into the ground where Shen had been seconds before. He spun around and cracked a kick into the beast's hard head, only managing to daze it as Kennen flipped over it, throwing 5 shurikens in quick succession at it's head. They all dug into the beasts hard exterior as it roared in pain, while Shen, who was back on the ground, took this opportunity to run directly ati t. The beast saw him coming and swiped its claws at him, but he instantly fell low to the ground, sliding under the legs, his ninjatos whipping out and slicing at the back of the knees of the void beast, where the flesh was soft and pink. Green blood spurted out as the beast fell to its knees, roaring. Kennen uttered a shout as his fur vibrated at a high enough frequency to form static electricity, aiming it at the 5 shurikens embedded in the beasts head. Lightning flashed from the small yordle and connected with all 5, as the beast spasmed and convulsed from the high voltage. Smoking, it doubled over, falling on all fours as it panted heavily. Shen instantly came onto it's back, landing right above its head. With a grunt of effort, he drove both ninjatos in an X-shape around the creature's neck right before he crossed them in a scissor fashion. The beast's head fell off its body as green blood spurted from the wound, the body falling. Shen stood up, sighing from the effort.

"Uh, Shen…" Kennen said uneasily as he looked above.

"Kennen, I really think you should jinxing us…" Shen said exasperatedly as he looked up to see another beast exiting the portal and jumping right at them.

Meanwhile, it seemed to be a game of dodge ball as Ahri moved quickly and swiftly in zigzag patterns, every so often throwing an orb of pure white energy or a small flurry of firey projectiles at Syndra, who deflected every projectile and seemed to fire black spheres of raw power at Ahri. If Ahri stopped moving even for a second, it'd be bad.

There was a sudden cry on the battlefield as Akali suddenly doubled over, clutching her right leg, where a black kunai was dug deep. A second later, Amaya exploded out of the shadows infront of her and kicked her in the chest, sending her flying back into a pillar.

"AKALI!" Shen shouted, distracted, and then he was flying off the ground, having been slammed by the beast's fist. He crashed into a stone wall, weak with age, so it crumbled around him and on top of him.

"SHEN!" Ahri shouted as she fired a pulse of energy at Syndra, who was slammed directly by it, skidding a few feet back in the air, disoriented. Using that opportunity, Ahri quickly ran over to where Shen was, but her tunnel vision cost her as the void beast swiped its claws at her, catching her on the shoulder and ripping 4 long furrows down her back, crimson liquid instantly falling out as Ahri stumbled, crying out in pain. Kennen uttered a cry of rage as he caused a bolt of lightning to crash down from the sky into the beast, filling the air with the smell of ozone. But the beast simply shook its head, damaged but not dead.

Ahri fell over to where the stones were, quickly pulling aside the rubble as Shen groaned. "Shen, are you okay? Shen!" She shouted, as she felt movement. She turned around to see Syndra grinning at them, raising a black ball crackling with energy.

Then there was a sound like a gunshot and Syndra was flung across the room into the far wall, crashing through it. Another sound, this one an explosion of fire as Caelum flew out of the burst, smoking and on fire, which was instantly extinguished as soon as he landed on the floor, though he landed on his back.

Aranya laughed as he said, "Looking out for those weaklings, Caelum? That mistake might've just cost you your life due to that lapse in concentration!" Aranya said, her hands bleeding from where she had dug her own sharp fingernails in, her blood magic flooding her with power and amplifying her abilities. Caelum stood up, his clothes singed and burned at places. The wrapping on his right arm was coming undone.

"Is that all of your power, Aranya? Even with your vile dark magics?" Caelum said as he stood up, his eyes hidden by his hair.

"Don't talk so high and mighty, Caelum. I can feel it, you're struggling to even match my powers. You might have taught me, but I have surpassed you with my blood magic which you so strongly oppose." Aranya said, grinning as her arms were covered with flames, burning bright with her energy, her blood seeming to fuel it further.

Caelum laughed as Aranya's smile faltered. "What's so funny?" She asked as Caelum flicked his bangs out of his eyes with a motion of his head, his icy blue eyes staring at Aranya. "You use your blood magic to amplify your existing powers Aranya… You are stronger than I am, yes… But even if I am against it, I know how to use it much better than you do… You simply magnified your affinity with it. I, on the other hand…" Caelum's right arm was exposed as the wrappings fell away, revealing an intricate map of dark runic markings completely covering his arm shoulder to finger-tips. The air suddenly seemed to plunge in temperature as Aranya's flames flickered, struggling to stay alight. The sounds around them seemed to mute down while the air became icy cold.

"I on the other hand, have managed another affinity." Caelum said, his icy blue eyes seeming even more colder. Aranya's eyes widened as a flicker of fear crossed her eyes.

"You… You're bluffing. You can't. You'll shorten your lifespan if you use that. You won't do it." She said, but her voice wavered and died down just as the flames on her hands died down, she stared down at her arms in shock, then back at Caelum.

"Letting you win means everyone I care about will die too. It's a small price to pay… Especially since I am finally getting my vengeance. For my sister, Aiyslynn." Caelum said.

There was another flash of lightning as the other void beast fell, Kennen huffing and panting with exhaustion, blood dripping from his nose and mouth as he clutched his ribs painfully. He walked over to where Ahri carried Shen out, one of Shen's arms hanging limp and broken as Shen panted shallow breaths, looking over at Caelum. "What is he doing…?" Shen said as Caelum raised his right hand at her. "Lacero." He said as suddenly white forms exploded into being around Aranya, ghostly shapes. They surrounded her and suddenly began flying through her continuously. Aranya began screaming in pure agony, being pulled off the ground as the white ghostly shapes kept going into her body and coming out the other side, only to dive back inside.

Akali watched in horror, with Amaya holding her down into the ground, a blade poised above her. "What… in the name of…" Amaya said in horror as blood began pouring out of Aranya's eyes, mouth, nose and ears, her voice seeming to rend the air itself with her screams.

And then suddenly Akali punched Amaya hard in her neck while Amaya was frozen with horror, Amaya falling off of her and choking, while Akali quickly dove on top of Amaya. A small cry of pain exitted her as Akali ripped the ninjato sticking out of her thigh out, and then a scream came from Amaya instead when Akali drove that ninjato into the woman's chest instead. Amaya's red eyes stared at Akali in shock and horror before her red glow dimmed down, revealing eyes of green. And then, her eyes glazed over and her body went limp under Akali.

Akali looked up to see Aranya's body falling to the ground, lifeless, blood pouring out of every orifice on her face. Caelum walked forward, blood pouring out of his own nose as he then pointed his arm up at the portal. "I have to close it… I can… But I need time… Where's Zed?" Caelum said, his voice laced with struggle.

And then, there was a cry of pain as Kennen collapsed to the ground, Zed standing over him. "KENNEN!" Screamed Ahri as Shen's eyes stared at the fallen Yordle, before going up to Zed.

"No… Zed, fight me!" Akali said angrily as she got upto her feet, but stumbled, her damaged leg throbbing. Zed didn't even look at her as Ahri and Shen both charged at him. Zed's body evaporated into a shadow as both Ahri and Shen passed through it. The shadow, however, instantly moved, dark blades slicing through the air. Ahri uttered a cry of pain as she crashed into the ground, holding her bleeding midriff while Shen stumbled, a cut opening up on his side as it instantly began to bleed profusely.

"Zed!" Akali screamed loudly as Zed, turned around to finally face her. "Leave them. Your fight is with me." She said as Shen staggered forward, but Akali instantly turned to face him. "No, Shen, you need to take care of Ahri. She's going to die." Akali said as Shen faltered, his gaze flicking to Ahri.

"She's right, Shen." Zed said, his dark voice finally being heard for the first time since they got here. He sounded… Evil. Like he was back when he killed Shen's father. "You can either come after me and give up on her life… Or go help her and give up on Akali's life." Zed said as Shen glared at Zed. "I believe in Akali. She won't lose to you." Shen said, before turning around and limping over to Ahri.

Zed then turned around to Akali as he met her glare with his predatory red eyes, before he raised his hands. He made a couple of hand-signs and a portal of darkness opened up in front of him. "Then let us put an end to this, Akali." Zed said, as he stepped forward and fell into the portal. Akali looked around, at Caelum, who was struggling to remain standing, trying to close the portal. At Shen, who was cradling Ahri's form as he rummaged through the small pack she had at her waist. At the form of Kennen, who lay unmoving on the ground. And then, finally at the dark portal in front of her.

She took a step and then fell away into the darkness, letting it claim her as the portal closed above her.

* * *

**Leave a review if you have any thoughts or suggestions on the chapter of if you have any questions. Next chapter will be the finale and then an epilogue will follow, possibly with a bonus chapter soon enough.**

**~ Wings**


	13. Chapter 13

**It's the last stretch, so I'm just gunning it.**

**Expect the epilogue chapter to be uploaded soon as well.**

**I'm also updating this much to distract myself from my thoughts.**

**~ Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Chapter 13**

_Her gasps and pants filled the air with sounds of their love making as Akali held onto one of Zed's hands with one hand, her other hand clutching the bedsheets. Her toes curled and her back arched from the raw pleasure invading her senses. She groaned as Zed leaned down to kiss her neck, nibble at her collar bone and kiss at her pink erect peaks. He then began thrusting into her roughly again._

Akali wasn't sure why, but that sudden flashback hit her as she was travelling through the shadow realm. But then she realized. _That was… the night when…_

And then her world suddenly exploded with color as she stepped out into a cool night sky. The air was comfortably cold, there was grass beneath her feet. Beside her, a wide river flowed. Behind her, a sheer drop into a vast lake, the river falling as a waterfall down to the lake. A drop from this height would kill her, so she stepped away from it. Zed was standing in front of her, about ten feet away. He had taken his helmet off, as well as pulled his facemask down, revealing his pale, scarred face. His hair had grown long again. His red eyes were as predatory as ever, and yet, Akali had always seen more through that gaze of his. She could see how haunted he looked, the pain beneath his exterior.

"Are you going to kill me now that you have me, Zed?" She asked as Zed narrowed his eyes. He then suddenly lunged at her, his armblades extending. Akali barely had enough time to raise her kamas to defend herself as his blades clashed with hers, her feet skidding on the grass. She shoved him back as she slashed at him, but he back-stepped out of her range, before throwing a shuriken at her. She spun away from it, throwing her own shuriken, which he deflected with a quick motion of his arm. However, something was off. When he had come at her, he didn't seem as strong as he was back when they trained. His shuriken was thrown slower than usual, and with more time.

Akali crouched as his blade passed over her head, and instantly slashed her kamas at his midriff.

A crimson trail followed in the wake of her blade as Zed stumbled back, grunting as he looked down at the cut on his stomach. Akali did not wait as she threw both of her Kamas at him, and then reached into her sash.

Zed used both of his arms to deflect her incoming kamas, but then Akali threw the black shuriken. The same shuriken she had found in that tavern, the one Zed had used. One of Zed's shurikens. But Akali had hesitated, because part of her did not want to…

And the shuriken struck home, digging deep into Zed's chest. Zed's eyes widened with surprise as he looked down at his own Shuriken dug into his chest, most of the armor having absorbed the impact yet feeling the cold metal in his chest as he muttered a small, "Oh."

Akali looked horrified at Zed. "No… No… That… You're not that slow… You should've… I hesitated, you should've… You could've dodged…" And then realization hit Akali. "You…"

Zed looked up at Akali, his red eyes softening in perhaps the first time in ages. "Just like you did not actually plan on killing me, Akali… I never actually planned on killing you." Zed said in a low voice as he relaxed his arms, his armblades retracting, blood dripping down his front.

"What…" Akali couldn't believe it. "So you mean… All this time… You…"

"Nisshoku is me in essence… To have him merge with me completely again, I had to let him believe I was doing what I was doing. I took control and now he is in me completely once more… But I only did that so, if I die, he would die too." Zed said as he looked down at the shuriken in his chest. "I'm sorry I lied to you Akali, but this is the only way."

Her entire world seemed to shatter as Akali gaped at Zed, who stood there, bleeding, watching her. "No… I saw you… You… You hurt Irelia… You killed all those people… You killed Kennen."

"You didn't see me kill Kennen. I hit him on the back of his neck and knocked him out cold. As for the people… I had to do what I needed to subdue Nisshoku's bloodlust. And I had to give you enough reason to hate me to kill me, but it seems that you can't kill me even with that." Zed said sadly.

"Zed… You…" Tears found their way escaping Akali's eyes. All this time, she had thought Zed had truly defected back to his evil ways. She was never planning on actually killing him. She knew she couldn't. But this… This wasn't what she expected. All along, everything that Zed had done, was to protect her. To protect everyone. He had done all of it to bring Nisshoku into himself once more, so when he died, Nisshoku would die again.

"Akali... " Zed murmured her name. "You're so… astonishingly beautiful. I never thought I'd have anything good in my forsaken life. But you changed everything in my life. I thought I was fine all alone, but then you entered my life. You showed me the weaknesses in my strengths. How broken I truly was behind my fortress of unbreakable walls. How much of a fool I was to believe that no one would ever understand me. But most of all, you showed me that no matter how dark it was, you would always be the light in my life…" Zed lowered his face, his hair hiding his eyes. "I… Akali… My love. My wife."

Akali felt a part of her cracking as he said that, hearing the pain in his voice as she choked back a sob, holding her hands to her mouth. "You're the strongest… woman I know." He said, his voice cracking. "You are the only one who can make me… feel… Human. You gave me life, and it was the hardest task you ever had… But now I'm afraid I have to be selfish and ask you to do an even harder task."

"Zed, no… Please no, anything… But not that… Don't say it…"

"Akali… You gave me life… "

"No no no, Zed, do not say those words.

"And now…"

"NO ZED, DON'T YOU DARE SAY IT!"

"You must be the one to take it away from me."

Silence. Akali's tears rolled down her cheeks silently as she stared at Zed at a complete loss, unable to move or think or do anything. Zed simply stood there, blood still coming out of his wounds yet not enough to kill him, or he would've collapsed by now. He was asking her to do the one thing she could never do.

"Zed… I… I can't…"

"Yes. You can…"

"No, Zed, please… I ca-"

"You must, Akali… For the good of everyone."

"Zed, you don't under-"

"Akali, you have to. You have to be the one to kill me, you're the only one who can kill me and kill Nisshoku at the same time. You're the third element. You're the representation of Balance. I taught you the path of shadows, Shen taught you the path of order."

"Zed… Please… No…."

Zed raised his face, and Akali felt another part of herself breaking as she saw the look on his face. He was asking her to kill him, and yet, his eyes were full of love and affection for her. He had thrown away all his walls, and had bared his entire soul to her. He was hiding nothing, no longer lurking in the shadows from her.

"You have to, Akali… My life is nothing without you. If I die, I lose nothing. But if you die, I lose everything." Zed said as he shook his head. "I am many things, Akali… A monster… A murderer… A shadow…"

"A father."

Silence.

Zed blinked as he stared at Akali, who still had tears rolling down her cheeks, yet her lips curled up into a shaky smile. "You're a father, Zed… Or, atleast, you will be…"

"Akali…? I don't…"

"I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid of how you'd react… It was that one night, before you started having nightmares. I'm pregnant, Zed." Akali's lips parted into a wider smile, yet sadness covered her features as she shook her head. "I can't kill you Zed… I can't be a mother without you… I need you in my life, Zed… You're going to be a great father." She said.

Zed raised his head to the sky as one of his hands raised, fingers digging into his hair, as if Zed was oblivious to the metal sticking out of his chest. He shook his head.

"I can't live without you, Zed." Akali said. "I can't live my life knowing I killed you… I just can't… I need you… Our children, need you."

Zed nodded as he raised his hand. With a grunt of effort, he pulled the shuriken out. He wavered on his feet, but remained standing as he dropped the shuriken. He then slowly walked over to Akali, who sobbed with renewed vigor as she raised her arms welcomingly.

He walked into her embrace as she wrapped her arms around him, not caring about how his blood-stained armor felt against her face. She cried into his chest as Zed spoke, slowly turning her around like they were dancing. "You will be a great mother, Akali… Our children will lead a good life, away from the shadows, under your guidance. Shen, Kennen and Irelia will help you raise them well."

At his words, Akali's cries paused again as she slowly pushed herself away from him. "Zed, what are you…" Her words died when she saw Zed's eyes, staring into hers. Zed had no more strength in his body, but his lifeblood had powers. Aranya had showed him this trick and Zed had no trouble figuring it out. His pupil contracted as hers dilated.

"You will lead a good, happy life. You will raise our children well, and with the help of your friends, you will give them happiness. But you will forget everything about me. All the moments we shared. All the memories we made. You will remember nothing about me. And then you will kill me and forget about this too." Zed said, feeling a wet drop rolling down his cheek… Was it raining?

No… He was…

_He was crying._

Akali nodded, her eyes glazed over as Zed felt it hard to formulate words, feeling another tear falling from his other eye as he stared into Akali's eyes. "I love you, Akali." He whispered.

"I love you too… Zed…" Akali muttered in a hypnotic fashion as Zed handed her a black kunai, then guided her hand to his chest. While he had hugged her, he had turned them around so he was standing with his back to the edge of the sheer drop. He looked down at his own right hand as he handed her the kunai. The red ribbon was clutched in his grasp tightly. He didn't know why… He knew what he was doing… If it worked, there would be nothing to worry about… But if it didn't...

"Do it." He whispered, his eyes transferring the compulsion as Akali nodded numbly.

…

Her eyes opened, before she instantly shot up into a sitting position. She looked around, seeing that she was on a grassy clifftop, a river off to her side. There was a forest nearby, and a sheer cliff-drop on the other side. "What…?" She muttered, her head hurting. She couldn't remember what she was doing her. She remembered only that she had been helping Shen and Kennen fight Aranya and…

She saw a dark portal on the ground. She crawled over to it on all fours, looking into it. At first, it was fully dark. But then, it cleared up and showed a specific scene. A temple. She saw Shen and Ahri, as well as Kennen. But didn't Kennen die?

With a moment's hesitation, Akali dove into the portal, which closed behind her. There was no other sounds in the area except for the sounds of the waterfall falling upon the river so far down. Far below, on the lake where the waterfall ended, a red ribbon floated upon the surface of the lake.

* * *

**Any thoughts you might have on the chapter or story, please feel free to leave it in a review. Also, since the story is basically ending, please take the time to review the entire story and give me a rating on stuff like plot, character, development, pairings, etc.**

**~ Wings**


	14. Chapter 14

**I would like to thank you all.**

**For supporting me.**

**For encouraging me.**

**And for being with me on this great journey.**

**Until the very end.**

**Farewell, my dearest readers.**

**Yours truly****,**

**~Wings**

* * *

**The Shadow Within**

**Epilogue**

It had taken quite a long time of talking, but Akali had finally understood everything that had happened. After she had returned to her friends, Caelum had just enough energy to transport them back into the institute before collapsing. After medical assistance was given to everyone, Shen had asked Akali what happened with Zed. Akali couldn't answer because she didn't know anyone named Zed, so that's what she said.

That raised a lot of distress in her friends. Irelia was very glad to see her, but when she found out that this… Zed, was no where to be found and Akali had no memories of him, she was very upset. It had taken perhaps a week of therapy and slow understanding, but now Akali finally knew everything.

And she hated it.

She was in her room, staring at the crystallized flower that Zed had given her. She wished she could remember everything. It was a selfish act of Zed to have taken her memories away without her permission. She hated it. But yet, she couldn't hate Zed. Flashes of her past were slowly coming back to her, like the petals of a flower slowly opening up one by one. She was slowly beginning to remember everything, piece by piece. And yet, there was still so much left. But she knew one thing.

She had loved Zed. More than anything in the world. And she still did.

How was it possible to love someone you didn't even know? Or rather, didn't remember? Akali couldn't fathom it, but it was there. She placed her hand on her abdomen, feeling the warmth inside, the life growing within. Her and Zed's baby… No, babies. Shen had confirmed it. She was going to have twins. She was having kids who was fathered by a man she barely even knew about.

It was all so messed up. And yet, Akali found herself on the fateful day of Zed's memorial, dressed in black mourning clothes, standing at the forefront, staring at the many pictures of him. There was one picture of him with her, in the bloodmoon festival. Another of him with her in a party of sorts, where she was wearing a stunning red dress and he had a suit on. Everyone came and left, yet Akali still stood there, staring at his face, trying to let it sink in deep enough so she would remember him. Anything to remember him. Though flashes of her memories were coming back ,they were no where near enough. Just… flickers.

The tingle of touch upon her skin.

The small sound of amusement with a small smirk.

The feeling of a scarred yet handsome visage, mapped by her fingers.

The ghostly touch of his lips on hers.

The shadows of his memory seemed to loom over her, haunting her, existing in non-existence. The memories were there, yet always out of reach. Teasing her. Taunting her with snippets.

She lived everyday like normal. Talking to her friends. Discussing Shen about his feelings of Ahri. Joking with Irelia about her engagement with Yi. Visiting Caelum in the hospital, where he was incapacitated since the incident. Attending regular institue meetings. Apparently there had been a crisis. With the disappearance of many artefacts as well as Aranya's stunt, many void- portals had opened up all over the world. The league was officially shutting down, and instead all (or rather, most) the champions and summoners were joining in arms in a war against the Void.

And thus, all the champions returned to their homes. Including Akali, who would be moving to a small Ionian home back in their homeland, along with most of her friends. They had all decided to settle down in one place to keep each other safe and be able to protect their homeland. The artefacts that had been consumed by the void were terrible and the void portals had erupted everywhere, including Ionia.

Artefacts.

Akali had a sudden flash. She had skimming the list of the artefacts that had gone missing. Did she…? No… It was probably just her imagination but…

Akali grabbed the list and read its contents again, reading the name of every artefact that had gone missing due to Aranya's crime. And she found what she thought she had seen.

"_Guardian Angel's Armor…_" She read, her voice low with awe. Her head suddenly hurt, like she was being stabbed, as her hands flew up to her temples, her face scrunching up in a wince. A memory flashed into her mind.

Zed, standing in full armor behind Aranya, Syndra and Amaya. There was an odd gold glow around him, but it disappeared when she looked a it.

Golden Glow.

"It… No… It's not possible… No way...?" Akali muttered to herself, feeling more shell shocked than she had when she found out that she was engaged to man she had no memories of. She then recalled that the Shadow clan of ninjas were also warring against the Void.

Could it be?

Akali opened the door to Zed's room. It smelled strongly of the man who had lived in it and just being in its presence filled Akali with an indiscernible sense of longing. She walked into the room, and her heart almost stopped. There was a note on the bed, neatly folded, with her name on it.

Was it a note he had written before that she had no recollection of? Akali was probably just grasping at straws. And yet…

She opened the note with shaky fingers.

"_Our special place."_

Akali stared at it, brushing a finger over the neat, elegant handwriting. Was this an old note? How would she know what place he meant? And what if someone else wrote this? Someone playing with her emotions, some vile pran-

She looked down at the binding that had held the note close. A red ribbon. It looked worn out, frayed at places. Yet, it was unmistakably a red ribbon that had once belonged to Akali. A sharp pain went through her head as Akali almost yelped from it.

"_What's that?"_

"_A reminder."_

"_Of what?"_

"_Of everything."_

Akali must've blacked out. Because when she opened her eyes, it was dark outside. But it didn't matter. She remembered. By the elders, she remembered everything. She couldn't even feel the tear rolling down her eye as she thought about everything, savouring their presence in her mind, determined never to lose them again.

She then looked down at the note with a sense of urgency, reading it again. If there was a chance…

…

It was tough finding the place in the dark, but she found it none-the-less. Hiking up the path, going into the trees and finding the entrance of the cave. She entered it, going into the tunnel. And then, she rounded the corner and entered the cavernous room within. It was lit up in an eerie blue color, with a crystal clear spring of water in the center.

Her entire world seemed to stop moving. For once, the headache she had since she woke up on that cliff-top with no memories of him was now gone. Yet she was frozen in her tracks.

Because he was standing right there, turning around to face her as she entered. His red eyes glowed at her with the same sinister edge to it, yet soft as it beheld her. His lips parted as he took a small intake of breath. He was wearing his scarred, damaged armor, the same one he had worn that day. His hair had grown longer in the time since she had last seen him. Yet his face was the same, scarred and haunted, yet infinitely beautiful in the way she saw him. She slowly walked forward in a daze, unsure of how she was walking, until she stood right infront of him. Slowly, ever so slowly, she raised her hand to his face… And then cupped his cheek, feeling the warmth of his flesh, solid and alive.

She collapsed against him, embracing him harshly as she broke down into sobs. "Zed… Oh gods, Zed… you're alive… you're okay…" She cried as Zed wrapped his arms around her as well, soothing her with small murmurs of reassurement. "I hate you… I hate you for doing that to me… I hate you so much but I love you… You're alive… I'm sorry I... " Akali was muttering nonsense in between her sobs as Zed simply held her against himself.

"I'm sorry, Akali… It was the only way. I didn't know if the Guardian angel's armor would work outside of the fields of justice… It was a gamble that paid off. Nisshoku is gone, I'm still alive. But I wanted you to remember me by yourself. I didn't want to show up all of a sudden." He said, his dulcet voice exactly as she remembered it, able to calm her tears and lift her spirits with a single sound. "I came here every night, hoping you would be here…" He whispered as Akali nodded, still crying softly in relief.

It took some time until she had calmed down and Zed had explained everything again. And then Akali had to explain everything to Zed, because Zed had been in his shadow realm, away from the world, not knowing what was going on with the world.

"So what now?" Zed asked, sitting with his bang against the cave wall, his legs spread out in front of him.

"Now, we go home." Akali said gently, taking comfort in feeling Zed's breathing against her back as she leaned back into his chest.

"Home?" He asked.

"Yes… I have a home. We have a home now, Zed." Akali said, before turning around and looking up at him, looking at his red eyes. "Besides… You're going to be a father, remember?"

"You're going to be a mother, Akali. I think that takes precedence." Zed said with a small hint of amusement as Akali laughed, a clear, lovely sound that warmed Zed to the core. It was odd, how a few weeks ago they seemed to hate each other, and then Zed was suddenly dead to Akali and now they were back to how they were before. But it just felt right.

"What do you think we should name them?" Zed asked.

"Ryuu for the boy and Saori for the girl…" Akali answered quietly, after a few moments.

"How do you know it's a boy and a girl?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I just do… I'm the mother, after all." She said as Zed chuckled in his throat. "Ofcourse... " He muttered as Akali looked over at the clear pool of water. "Hey, Zed?" She whispered.

"Hmm?" He replied.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He replied.

"I am yours and you are mine?" She asked.

"Always." He whispered.

Their lips met in a kiss that locked that moment for eternity.

* * *

**_The End_**


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